A Light in the Darkness
by BionicRagdoll
Summary: Raph finally meets a girl who accepts him for who he is but when he and his brothers save another damsel in distress everything they love falls apart. WARNING: This story gets VERY graphic in the later chapters, and not in the good way either. You have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so this is my first story on here so I'm not really sure what I'm doing. If I screw anything up please let me know also reviews, ideas, and feedback are all very much welcome. Enjoy!**

Luka left the Red Arrow diner at midnight barely able to stand. Eight hours of waiting tables and listening to inconsiderate customers complain about the lousy service and even lousier food had drained her completely and more than anything she just wanted to go home and relax in solitude. The walk home wasn't long but it was treacherous, both the diner and her petite apartment were in a nasty part of town. The Purple Dragons ruled it mercilessly, taking whatever they wanted without a thought. Her father had trained her how to fight before he died so she was far from helpless but that didn't make her untouchable. The tight, short button up dress she had to wear for work made her look like an easy target. As she walked down the empty street she kept a switch blade tucked up her right hand sleeve ready to be used at a moments notice. In her desperation to simply be home she took a short cut down a deserted alley walking as fast as her tired legs could carry her. She wasn't half way down the alley when five Purple Dragons came out of no where and blocked her path.

"What's the matta girly? You lost or somethin'?" the leader asked, he had a large dragon tattooed on his face.

"I'm not lost; and don't call me girly." Luka responded releasing the blade of her knife.

"See now that ain't polite, we were only tryin to help ya."

"Thanks but no thanks." She said as she began to back down the alley towards the lit street.

Before she could escape the other four circled her. Two of the thugs grabbed her arms from behind. The one holding on to her right arm twisted her wrist causing her to drop the knife which got kicked down the alley as soon as it hit the ground. The one with the tattooed face walked towards her looking her up and down lustfully. He reach out to unbutton the top button of her dress but using both her feet she kicked off the ground and aimed her feet for the leaders chest. He flew down alley and landed in pile of garbage bags, the force also knocked her and the men holding her arms down to the ground. She quickly got up and assumed a fighting stance, ready to defend herself against anything they came at her with. The two still standing rushed towards her, she sidestepped to her left and roundhouse kicked the one closest to her, he went flying into his companion. Unfortunately as soon as those two were out of commission the other three were getting back up. Come on, give me a break, she thought. Once more she was surrounded and before she could react the leader grabbed her hair and pulled it painfully.

"You fucking bitch. You'll pay for that." He kicked her left knee out from under her, it buckled painfully and she gave out a cry. He threw her to the ground and picked up her knife, "Now you little whore, it's time to teach you a lesson." He advanced on her, the front of his pants bulging. She tried to get up to run but her knee gave out. Frantically she looked around looking for anything to defend herself with, near the dumpster to her right lay a piece of pipe. Luka tried to reach out to grab it but one of the other thugs stepped on her hand and kicked her in the face. Finally too hurt to move she willed herself to pass out so that at least she wouldn't have to be awake for it.

On the rooftop above four secret heroes of the city that never sleeps watched first in admiration that the girl stood up to them, and then in disgust for the way the lowlifes beat her. "That's it, I'm sick of watchin'. If we don't do somethin' they're gonna rape her, and there ain't no way I'm lettin that happen," Raphael said. Without a look back at his brothers he slid down the fire escape and into the alley, his brothers were right behind him.

The hot-headed turtle landed directly between the Purple Dragon's leader and the semi-conscious girl, he grabbed the man's wrist and twisted until he heard the bones snap and break. "You made a big mistake messing with her you piece of shit."

The man's face contorted in pain and horror as he saw what Raphael and his brothers were, it was a look Raph was well used to by now. "Wha-what are you freaks?"

"Your worst nightmare." Raph muttered coldly before punching then man in the face, shattering his nose.

Meanwhile his brothers quickly dispatched of the other four goons. "Wow Raph you really did a number on that guy." Donnie said looking at the broken bleeding body next to him.

"Yeah, you almost made it seem like it was personal." Leonardo said in agreement.

"Nothin' personal about it, I just hate seein scum bags like him thinkin they can go around and take advantage of people, especially women." Raph growled.

Behind them Luka groaned in pain, "Speaking of women what are we going to do about her?" Mikey asked.

All eyes turned towards Leo. "Well we can't bring her back to the lair, Splinter would kill us. Mikey go through her wallet and see if you can find out where she lives, Don can you bandage her up?"

They both nodded in agreement and got to work while Raph leaned against the wall trying to calm down. His brothers were right, there was something different about this time, it did kind of seem personal. But he had never seen this girl before had he? As Donnie moved her into the light so he could work on her Raph got a better look at her face. She was pale, but maybe that was just from the pain and the street light, her hair was brown with red highlights, she was tall, probably around 5'7" and she was skinny, a little too skinny actually. Maybe she's a model he thought, she was certainly pretty enough but he still didn't recognize her. So why did he get so angry and protective? Raph shook his head trying to clear his thoughts.

"Hey guys I found it! Man that chick's purse is like a black hole." Mikey called out to his brothers.

"Get to the point Mikey where does she live?"

"Whoa that's weird, she lives in Casey's building. Right across the hall actually."

"Great, Don how is she?"

"She'll be okay, nothing's broken that I can tell. Though I'm worried about that knee, it's pretty swollen and the way she couldn't put weight on it means they did some damage to it."

"Well we'll worry about that when she's back at her place. Raph can you carry her and we'll follow you?"

"Yeah, sure thing Fearless Leader." He said as he picked up the girl with uncharacteristic gentleness. Once she was safe and comfortable in his arms he climbed onto the rooftop and headed towards Casey's.

They were only a block away when Luka began to stir. Raph stopped running and looked down at her as she began to open her eyes. "What's going on? Who are you?" Raph was both shocked and pleased that she had asked who he was not what he was. Gently he set her on the ground, he tried to get her to lay down but she insisted on sitting up though she had to lean on him for support. His brothers caught up to them just as she was getting settled.

"What's going on Raph?" Leo asked.

"Well she kinda woke up and wanted ta know what was going on. I figured it'd be betta to explain than have her freak out."

"Fair enough," Leo looked at the girl, "So what's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember those five Purple Dragons ganging up on me and then getting kicked in the face. I was pretty out of it after than but I remember hearing more fighting and four voices which I'm guessing was you guys talking about what to do with me and someone making sure I was okay. So what did happen? and who are you guys?"

"I'm Leonardo, these are my brothers Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. You can call us Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey."

Luka looked around still scared and shaken, "So you're the ones who saved me?"

"Well we couldn't just sit back and do nothin' while those dirtbags attacked you. Mikey, uh went through you're purse to find were ya lived so we could bring you home, and Donnie made sure you weren't too badly hurt."

Luka shook her head in disbelief, "Sorry I'm having a little trouble processing this."'

"You're just in shock," Donnie said, "You'll feel better once we get you home."

She nodded numbly as Raph picked her up again. "So we, neva got you're name."

"Oh right, I'm Luka."

Raph gave a small smile, "Nice to neet ya Luka."

"Nice to meet you Raph, and thank you for saving me."

"Heh, thank you for not getting freaked out over us."

Before Luka knew it they were at her apartment, Raph set her down on the couch. Leo looked around at his brothers, "Well we should be getting home ourselves, our father is probably wondering where we are."

The four of them were headed for the window when she stopped them, "Umm, I'd hate to ask you guys this 'cause you've done so much already but could one of you stay here for a while? I'm still pretty shaken up about what happened back there." The look the boys shared was one of confusion and uncertainty. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you guys uncomfortable. You're right you have your own home to get to."

"No it's not that at all," Donnie said, "We're not used to a human be so, okay, with us."

"Yeah most chicks are totally freaked out by four teenage mutant turtles." Mikey added.

"You guys saved me, it'd be kinda rude for me to freak out because you guys are, well, not normal. Besides normal is over rated anyway."

"It's all right Leo, I'll stick with Luka while you guys go home and explain everything to Splinter." Raph said.

"Yeah, you get to stay here with the pretty injured girl while the rest of us get lectured for being seen by a human, again." Leo said rolling his eyes.

"I told ya I ain't the dumb one." He looked at Luka, "Mikey's the dumb one."

"Nuh-uh, I'm the pretty one, right Donnie?"

"Sure Mikey whatever you say. Now Luka you need to stay off that knee for a while, you might have torn the cartilage, and if you have to walk then use crutches if you have them."

"But Don I have to work in the morning!"

"If you walk around too much you'll just make that knee worse. Raph you'll make sure she doesn't go too far right?"

"Yeah sure thing Einstein."

With that the other three left leaving Raph and Luka alone.


	2. Chapter 2: Barcelona

**Okay everyone here is chapter two! I have eight more lined up that I'll be releasing in the next couple of days. Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Please review, the more reviews I get the fast I'll update!**_  
_

_Barcelona where the winds all blew__  
__And the churches don't have windows but the graveyards do__  
__Me and my shadow are wrestling again__  
__Look out stranger, there's a dark cloud moving in_

Raph looked around the apartment as Luka got changed into pajamas. Even though it was right across the hall from Casey's place it felt like a world away. Everywhere he looked there were bright colors and bold patterns. Through the doorway to the kitchen he could see it was painted a creamy yellow, there were red and orange accents in the form of towels, dishes and pans. The living room itself was a shade of blue that reminded him of the ocean, the couch and end tables were white, on walls were various pictures of Luka, and what he presumed were her family and friends. He got up to take a closer look, there she was pretending to use the phone one of those British phone booths, in another she was building a sand castle with three other girls at the beach. There were also paintings and posters with motivational sayings on them, and a small circular mirror next the coat rack by the door. He heard the clack of the crutches that he had gotten out of the closet for her as she came back down the hallway. "So are you hungry?" She asked him. His stomach growled loudly in response. "Haha I'm going to take that as a yes. Chinese okay?"

"Yeah sure. " She dialed a number and ordered their dinner, once that was done she made her way over to the fridge and pulled out two sodas, very carefully she turned herself around and set them on the table in the center of the kitchen and then sat down. Raph stood there in the living room a little awkwardly for a few seconds.

"Well get your green turtle butt in here." She called out to him playfully. He walked into the kitchen and sat down across from her. "So just how does a six foot tall mutant turtle come to live in New York?" Without anymore prompting he told her how he and his brothers were transformed by the ooze, being raised as ninjas by Splinter, and their many adventures over the years. The only time she interrupted was when the had to answer the door for the delivery man. "Wow, I'd say you'd have to be making this up because it's impossible for you to have done such amazing things but twelve hours ago I would have said that mutant ninja turtles are impossible."

"Yeah as Mikey would say 'We're unbelievable.' Damn he's a dipshit. So what's you're story? You a model or somethin'? And how come you have crutches in your closet?"

"Why would you think I'm a model?" She asked then shook her head dismissively, "No never mind. My friend Amanda and I moved here together from New Hampshire to study music at NYU but my parents died a year ago which led to me dropping out. Now I work two jobs as a waitress and Amanda and I have started a band with two other girls we met at school. As for the crutches I broke my leg in a skateboard accident some years ago. Since then my left knee was been rather fragile. The fact that those Purple Dragons happened to go after that particular knee was really just bad luck." As she finished speaking she got up to throw out the now empty take out containers.

Raph got up to help her "Ya know this has been one hell of a weird day," he said still trying to process everything she told him and everything that had happened.

"How so?" Luka asked although she had a feeling what his answer was going to be.

"Cause my bros and I ain't exactly normal and we learned a long time ago that humans are afraid of anything not normal. The only thing more impossible than me and my bros is finding someone who doesn't go postal when they see us, even after we save their butts."

Feeling sympathy for her guest she put a comforting hand on his shoulder "Hey like I said before, normal is highly overrated, and there's a difference between being a person and being human, I can say first hand you and your brothers are more human that two thirds of the people in this city. Robert Zend once said 'There are too many people and too few human beings.' Good night Raph, blankets and pillows are in the hall closet, help yourself." With that she left him standing in the kitchen more confused than he could even remember being.

_If you could hear the voice in my heart it would tell you__  
__I'm afraid I am alone__  
__Won't somebody please hold me, release me__  
__Show me the meaning of mercy__  
__Let me loose__  
__Fly, let me fly, let me fly_

Once she was gone Raph made his bed on the couch while thinking about what she had said. Contrary to what his brothers thought he wasn't just some mindless rage filled maniac, a lot of times when he was going at his punching bag he was also thinking about some pretty deep stuff. Some of the horrific things him and his brothers had seen made him wonder if there was a god or some higher power, but everything they have gone through, how they became what they are now, and even the events that caused it seemed a little too much to be coincidence. All those times they narrowly escaped death with all of the chips stacked against them made him wonder. Now Luka had gotten him thinking about what it means to be human. Did she really mean what she said? That even though he technically wasn't a person he was still human? It was something he had never considered, he had always seen his family as outcast from society, doomed to live in the shadows, constantly saving people and sometimes the world without any thanks. All his life his one wish was that he and his brothers would each find someone who loved and accepted them for who and what they were, all those years spent watching couples on TV and from the rooftops made him envious. He knew that kind of life was not for his family. What girl could possibly love a freak like him? She was right though that there were some people in this city that were monsters masquerading as human. These thoughts circled his head until he fell asleep.

Luka too was kept awake by deep thoughts. She had never met anyone like Raphael and his brother before, despite being raised in the same environment they each had very different personalities, Raph seemed like a tough guy who was very rough around the edges but on the inside he seemed like he was loyal and kind. She had meant what she said about him and his brothers being human despite their abnormal appearance. Outside of the other girls in the band Luka had very few friends, she was thankful that the turtles had saved her but even more thankful that she had made a new friend. Thinking back on the conversation they'd had over dinner she was surprised to realize that he hadn't asked her how her parents died or offered his condolences. That was fine with her, she was tired of listening to people pretending to be sorry for her and sick of their morbid curiosity. She felt the tiny pinpricks of tears pierce her eyes at the memory of her parents but quickly brushed them aside. Although she'd lost them over a year ago she could still remember them perfectly, her mother's beautiful voice and her father's dirty sense of humor. She knew she couldn't hold onto these memories forever but she was determined to try for as long as she could. Trying desperately to ignore the emotional and physical pain she fell into a fitful sleep.

_Super paranoid,__  
__I'm blending, I'm blurring,__  
__I'm bleeding into the scenery__  
__Loving someone else is always so much easier__  
__And I hold myself hostage to a mirror__  
__But if you could hear the voice in my heart it would tell you__  
__I'm tired of feeling this way__  
__God won't you please hold me, release me, show me the meaning of mercy__  
__Let me loose__  
__Let me fly, let me fly_

At seven thirty the next morning Luka woke up wondering why her body hurt so much, then it came back to her. The fight in the alley, being rescued and brought home by four mutant turtles, talking and eating dinner with Raph. She groaned, shut of her alarm and grabbed her bathrobe from the hook on the back of the door. Trying to be as quiet as possible she made her way to the kitchen to making coffee, stopping in the living room to check if her guest was still there. He was fast asleep on the couch and the blanket he had grabbed had fallen off during the night. Careful to not fall over she picked it up and tucked it in around him. Once the coffee was brewing she followed her tried and true recipe for starting the morning energized, no matter how late she had stayed up the night before. She took a hot bath, grabbed a cup of coffee, and got dressed to happy upbeat music. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror above her dresser she wondered why Raph thought she was a model. She had never considered herself remarkably pretty, her face was slightly gaunt from not eating enough and was riddled with acne scars. Her brown and red hair was unmanageable. Her brown eyes were so dark they were almost black, one of her last boyfriends had called it "creepy." With a sigh she began putting on her make up, she was applying her lipstick when a voice came from the doorway.

"You don't need that stuff ya know."

She looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Thanks Raph that's sweet, a total lie but sweet nonetheless."

He took a step towards her, "I'm serious Luka, you look gorgeous without that junk. Anyway I just wanted ta let ya know that I'm headed out. Splinter's probably real ticked off already."

"Okay, you and your brothers are welcome here anytime."

A small smile came across his lips, "Thanks, I'm gonna hold ya to that." Then he was gone.

_I won't be held down, I wont be held back__  
__I will lead with my faith__  
__The red light had been following me__  
__But don't worry mother__  
__It's no longer my gravity__  
__hold me, release me__  
__Show me the meaning of mercy__  
__Let me fly, let me fly, let me fly_

**The song I use in this chapter is "Barcelona" by Jewel I don't own any rights to the song or the guys but hey I can dream right. Stay tuned for chapter three!**_  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**And here is chapter three. [Insert customary disclaimer here]. Please review!**

The morning was pale and cold as Luka stepped out of her apartment building into the street, the once white snow that covered the sidewalk was now grey slush and Luka had to be careful not to slip on any icy patches with her crutches. The cafe was only five minutes from her apartment but it seemed like a lot longer and by the time she got there she was tired and in pain. _How am I going to make it through today?_She asked herself but then she thought of her rent, gritted her teeth and pushed the door open.

Amanda was already there cleaning tables that the early birds had dirtied, "Holy shit! What happened to your face? And why are you on crutches?"

Luka shrugged, "I ran into some trouble on the way home last night but don't worry thanks to some anonymous heroes the Purple Dragons that attacked me got the worst of it." She clacked her way towards the kitchen to punch her time card and put on her apron. Her boss Matt looked at the crutches and bruises but made no comment, only telling her that she was going to be working the register instead of waiting tables. He placed a stool behind the counter for her and and went back to the kitchen to make more bread.

She had just sat down when Amanda came up to the counter, "After we get out you are going to tell me everything. You can't just walk in here looking like a train wreck, saying you got attacked by Purple Dragons and think that will be the end of it. I want answers missy."

Luka giggled at her friend, "And you'll get them, we can go back to my place after our shift and I'll fill you in. Now you should get back to work before Matt glares you to death."

Back in the lair Raph made no attempt to sneak into the lair, he knew Splinter would be mad at him for last night but he also knew it had been the right thing to do.

"Raphael!"

Raph stopped and turned to face the old rat, "Yes Sensei?"

"Your brothers informed me of your adventures last night. Would you like to explain why you once again revealed yourselves to a human and spent the night with one?" Splinter's face was severe, it was that look that always made Raph feel like he was five years old again.

Desperate to have his father understand he tried to explain his actions "She was out cold Sensei, we were just gonna bring her back to her place but she woke up. We didn't want her freakin out so we told her what was goin on. When we got 'er home she was scared and hurt and didn't wanna be alone, and I didn't want her to be alone. But it's all good Master Splinter she didn't freak out or nothin when she saw us and she ain't gonna tell no one so it's not a big deal right?" The red clad turtle looked at his father hopefully. He didn't want Splinter to say that he wouldn't be allowed to see Luka again.

His father let out a resigned sigh. "Since she already knows of our existence I would like to meet this girl and judge her character for myself. Your brothers and I will go pay this young lady a visit tonight while you remain in your room and consider the consequences of your actions." Raph was about to protest but Splinter cut him off, "Your bother's have already received similar punishment, now go." Raph walked to his room fighting the anger growing inside him. Collapsing on his hammock he stared at the ceiling covered in posters and other miscellaneous decorations he had scavenged over the years and marveled at how unlike her home it was. His room was dark with only a small table lamp to give him light and the walls were made of the same tan stone that made up the rest of the lair, a set of weights were knocked over on the floor and a well worn punching bag stood in the corner. The posters and wall decorations matched his interests, rock music, motorcycles, here and there were news clippings that made references to the Shredder, Stockman and the Purple Dragons.

He heard a knock on the side of his doorway. "Hey Raph can I come in?" asked Donnie, stepping into the room even as he asked the question.

"Yeah sure. I thought Splinter said he punished you guys too." Raph said, not bothering to take his eyes of the ceiling.

Donnie leaned against the wall next to Raph "We are being punished. I've been banned from my lab and from using a computer, Mikey can't watch TV or play video games and Splinter confiscated his comics."

"And Leo?"

"Once Splinter heard about what we did he gave Leo a half hour lecture on being responsible and what it means to be a leader and got confined to his room. You get the worst of it though, being forced to stay down here while the rest of us go topside. That's harsh."

"Yeah tell Luka I say hi when ya see her."

"Sure thing Raph."

"Donatello!" Splinter called from downstairs, "I need your help with something my son."

"Coming Sensei!" He called over the shoulder and gave his brother a sympathetic look before answering Splinter's summons.

Once more Raph was left alone with his thoughts and his jealousy. Splinter should have been happy that they didn't bring her to the lair and she needed someone with her last night, she had tried to hide it but he could tell she was still freaked out by what had happened and he couldn't blame her. His thoughts circled around each other for the next several hours until there was another knock, this time it was Splinter. "Your brothers and I are leaving now to visit Ms. Jennings, you may do as wish here in our home but you may not leave until we return. Do you understand my son?"

"Yes Sensei."

Luka opened the door to her apartment and wasn't surprised to see her couch already occupied by her friends who had helped themselves to some potato chips and soda. She looked at the three girls and once again wondered how people so different could be such good friends. Amanda was lounging on the end with her feet on the coffee table, Luka had always envied her straight red hair that fell to her shoulder blades and the light freckles that were scattered across her nose. Faye was in the middle her black curly hair falling in her face as usual hiding her stormy grey eyes. Shelley was easily the prettiest out of the four of them with her sunny blonde hair and baby blue eyes.

"Alright Luka what did you trip over this time?" Shelley asked.

Luka looked at Amanda, "You didn't tell them?"

"You didn't tell me!"

"I gave you the cliff notes version." She looked at Faye and motioned for her to push over, once she was settled she began filling them in on what happened. When she got to the part about being rescued by the turtles she lied, telling them she woke up in her apartment and never saw who helped her.

"How did they know where you lived?" asked Faye.

Luke shrugged, "They probably looked in my purse and found my keys and wallet."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Shelley asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I checked, everything was there. Besides why would they save me then rob me?"

"I don't know but that would still freak me out, you're a lot braver than I am, and you actually stood up to those Purple Dragons too. That's pretty impressive."

Luka just shrugged and changed the subject to the band, she didn't want to linger too much on what had happened in that alley for fear that she might let something slip about the turtles. They spent the next few hours talking about upcoming shows, coordinating practices times, and shared snippets of lyrics they had written. Eventually Luka was compelled to share a melody she had composed. The four of them migrated to Luka's bedroom where Luka sat herself in front of the full sized keyboard and her friends sat themselves on the bed. She turned the keyboard on and unplugged the headphones then gently placed her hands on the keys and began to play a light slow melody, the high notes gradually picked up tempo and were joined by lower mid-range notes. The song was energetic, and happy. Halfway through the song Shelley spoke up, "Hey guys do you hear that?" Luka stopped playing and listened. They all heard it, voices. Four distinct voices were coming from the living room.

They all looked at each other, scared and apprehensive. "Amanda, hand me the knife under my pillow." Luka whispered. Amanda handed her the foot long Bowie knife, "Right, you three wait here while I -"

"Like Hell!" Faye whispered, "We're coming with you." Luka nodded, she wasn't happy about it but there wasn't time to argue. The four friends eased open the bedroom door and crept down the hall. Once there were in the hall they could hear the voices more clearly, and she recognized three of the four voices. _Oh shit_, she thought but it was too late. They turned the corner and came face to face with three of the four turtles and their father.

Luka stealthily dropped they knife while giving a slight wave wit her other hand, "Hey guys."

**0.0 The girls just met the guys, how are they going to take to our mutant heroes? Find out tonight when I post the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: Enchanted

**Good evening fellow TMNT fans. Here is chapter 4 as promised, hope you like it! And don't forget to leave a review.**

Luka's three friends stared at her in shock, "You know these...uh..." Shelley didn't know how to finish her sentence.

"These people, yeah I do. I lied when I said I never saw who saved me, those three turtles over along with their brother are the reason I'm here right now." The other girls were silent as they tried to digest this information. Luka approached Master Splinter and extended her hand, "You must be their father, it's an honor sir. I hope your sons didn't get in too much trouble, they literally saved my life. Where is Raphael by the way?"

Splinter smiled and shook her hand, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well Ms. Jennings. Raphael has been grounded until further notice." He was surprised to see her smile falter slightly when he told her.

"Okay seriously! Who are these guys and what is going on?" Amanda practically yelled.

Luka told everyone to sit and asked Master Splinter to explain who him and his sons were and where they came from. For the second time in as many days she got to hear their origin story although she had to admit Splinter told it much better than Raph. By they time Splinter had finished her friends had calmed down and introduced themselves as well. Once everyone was acquainted Splinter looked at Luka, "Now Ms. Jennings I would like to know more about you."

"Right, that's only fair, but honestly there's not much to know. I'm originally from New Hampshire and moved to New York two years ago to major in music at NYU. Last year my parents died in a car accident and after that my older brother and I became estranged and I dropped out of school. Now Amanda, Shelley, Faye and I are in a band called Murphey's Law. We actually have a show Friday night at the Green Martini if you guys want to go."

Faye finally spoke up, "Have you lost your mind Luka? They're freaking turtles! How are they going to get into the club without someone noticing?"

Mikey stood up and flexed his muscles, "Because we're ninjas! Don't worry I wouldn't miss a chance to see a hottie like you." To his surprise Faye actually blushed.

"How come Raphael was the only one to get grounded?" Shelley asked.

"Because Raphael was the only one to spend the night with Ms. Jennings."

Luka blushed bright red as her friends looked at her completely shocked, "I don't know what's more surprising, you getting rescued by mutant ninja turtles or you letting a guy spend the night." Amanda said.

"It wasn't like that honestly, we just talked!" Her friends gave her sarcastic nods

The group talked for a few more minutes and Donnie took another look at Luka's knee before the guys got up to leave. Donnie was almost out the window when he turned back, "Oh by the way Raph says hi."

"Thanks, tell him I'm sorry for getting him in trouble and I hope to see him soon." Just then something occurred to her, "Wait hang on a sec." She disappeared into the bedroom for a minute before coming back out with a folded piece of paper. "Can you give this to him?" Donnie smiled, took the paper and followed his family into the night.

It was about a half hour before the four mutant arrived at the front door of their home. "Dude who knew Luka had such hot friends? I mean I was jealous of Raph for spending the night with her but after seeing Faye..." Mikey trailed off.

"I don't know," Leo said, "I thought Amanda was pretty cool."

They both looked at Don who just shrugged, "Shelley's kinda sweet I guess."

Splinter listened with a smile as his sons continued to talk about the girls. It had always caused him pain to think that his sons would never know romantic love because of who and what they were but seeing how calmly the girls had greeted them it gave him hope that maybe his sons wouldn't have to face the world alone after all. All conversation ceased when they saw Raph leaning against the doorway. For some reason seeing him there made his brothers feel guilty. As Splinter walked by he patted his shoulder, "You have good taste my son."

Raph looked at his brother quizzically, "Dude your girlfriend has some seriously hot friends and we get to see them again on Friday!" Mikey enthused.

Don pushed Mikey out of the way, "Here bro, Luka said this is for you, and she's sorry for getting you in trouble and that she hopes to see you soon."

Raph barely looked at it before tucking it into his belt. He followed his other brothers into the lair, "So seriously guys how was it?"

"It's like Mikey said, Luka's friends were there and they're gorgeous. Splinter certainly seems to think they're nice. The four of them have a show on Friday and invited us to go." Leo said.

"And how was Luka?"

"She looked disappointed that you weren't there but otherwise good."

Raph nodded and then headed back to his room to read the note from Luka. He sat on his hammock and opened the piece of paper. "Raph, I'm sure this isn't your kind of music but this song reminded me of last night," had been written at the top. Below that were printed lyrics to a song.

_"__Taylor Swift — Enchanted__There I was again tonight__  
__Forcing laughter, faking smiles__  
__Same old tired lonely place__Walls of insincerity,__  
__Shifting eyes and vacancy__  
__Vanished when I saw your face__All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you__Your eyes whispered "Have we met? "__  
__Across the room your silhouette__  
__Starts to make its way to me__  
__The playful conversation starts__  
__Counter all your quick remarks__  
__Like passing notes in secrecy__And it was enchanting to meet you__  
__All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you__This night is sparkling, don't you let it go__  
__I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home__  
__I'll spend forever wondering if you knew__  
__I was enchanted to meet you__The lingering question kept me up__  
__2 AM, who do you love?__  
__I wonder 'til I'm wide awake__  
__And now I'm pacing back and forth__  
__Wishing you were at my door__  
__I'd open up and you would say, "Hey,__  
__It was enchanting to meet you,__  
__All I know is I was enchanted to meet you"__  
__  
__This night is sparkling, don't you let it go__  
__I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home__  
__I'll spend forever wondering if you know__  
__This night is flawless, don't you let it go__  
__I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone__  
__I'll spend forever wondering if you knew__  
__I was enchanted to meet you__This is me praying that__  
__This was the very first page__  
__Not where the story line ends__  
__My thoughts will echo your name__  
__Until I see you again__  
__These are the words I held back__  
__As I was leaving too soon__  
__I was enchanted to meet you__Please don't be in love with someone else__  
__Please don't have somebody waiting on you__  
__Please don't be in love with someone else__  
__Please don't have somebody waiting on you__This night is sparkling, don't you let it go__  
__I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home__  
__I'll spend forever wondering if you know__  
__This night is flawless, don't you let it go__  
__I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone__  
__I'll spend forever wondering if you knew__  
__I was enchanted to meet you__Please don't be in love with someone else__  
__Please don't have somebody waiting on you"__  
_  
Raph couldn't help but smile as he noticed underneath the lyrics was a phone number. She was right, Taylor Swift definitely wasn't his kind of music but the thought of her hoping his heart wasn't already taken filled him with a kind of happiness he'd never felt before. He refolded the note and tucked it underneath his lamp. I'm not gonna call her tonight, he thought, she's probably tired. He went back downstairs to hang out with his brothers and for once talk about girls. Raph gave a small chuckle at the thought of him and his brothers doing something so normal.

Back at the apartment Luka was getting ready for a short shift at the diner. Her friends had left shortly after the guys, she had been genuinely surprised how quickly they had all gotten used to each other. She was disappointed that Raph hadn't been there but now he had her number. She slid her phone into the pocket of her uniform and adjusted the brace she had wrapped around her knee. There was no way she could wait tables on crutches so she decided to ignore Donnie's orders and left them next to the door.

A short painful walk later she was at the diner, standing behind the counter wearing a uniform identical to hers was a pale black haired girl. Luka looked at her a little confused, "Who are you?"

The mystery girl smiled an unfriendly smile, "Hi I'm Mia, you're going to be training me tonight."

Luka simply nodded then noticed the strange barrette holding her hair back. It was blood red with three points at the top which tapered down to one at the bottom. Something about it and her new co-worker gave her chills.

"Damn this is going to be a long four hours."

**Oooh she gave Raph her number ;) but who is this mysterious co worker of hers? You won't find out for a few more chapters so stay tuned!**

**P.S. I don't own the turtles or the song Enchanted by Taylor Swift give credit where credit is due.**


	5. Chapter 5: Drink the Night Away

**Good morning all here is chapter five. I couldn't figure out how to work the song for this chapter in so pretty please look up "Drink the Night Away" by Gaelic Storm. Also I'm good at coming up with ideas for Raph and Luka but I'm not so good at coming up with ideas for the other pairings so if anyone has any ideas or request don't be afraid to let me know. As always don't forget to review!**

Luka was pacing back and forth in the living room of her apartment going over the sheet music for the show one last time but she found it difficult to concentrate. It had been a week since she had last seen Raph and that fact alone made it hard to concentrate. The fact that he wouldn't get out of her head was unnerving, it had been a very long time since she had thought about any guy. Although Leo had assured the girls that Master Splinter had liked them he still grounded Raph until the show. She checked the clock, 8:30, she had been reviewing the music for more than an hour with little result. _Whatever, I give up_she thought and dropped the papers on the couch with a soft plop. The girls were going to be there shortly anyway and she needed to get ready. She head to the kitchen and from the cabinet above the fridge pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels and four shot glasses and set them up in the living room. She just finished placing the fourth glass when there was a knock at the door. Sidestepping the glasses she walked over to open it not even bothering to check the peephole first.

When she opened the door she was shocked to see Raphael standing in front of her. "I was enchanted to meet you too." He said with a small smile. Finally coming to her senses she leapt at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. It took all of his ninja training to catch her around the waist and keep them both from tumbling into the hall. He held her close and spun her around a little before setting her back down so she could drag him inside before some nosy neighbor could spy them.

After she had locked the door behind them she looked at him quizzically, "I thought you were grounded until tomorrow, and just how exactly did you get to my front door without being seen?"

"Let's just say I got off on good behavior, and Casey let me in through his place. I wanted to surprise ya."

"Well it worked." She said smiling at him.

He nodded towards her knee, "I see you're all better."

"Yep, I told Don it was nothing. Besides I heal quick."

Finally he spotted the whiskey and shot glasses in the middle of the living room. "Expectin' company?"

"What? Oh yeah, it's kind of a tradition we've got going. The night before a show in order to destress we get together and get drunk on whiskey, usually by playing a drinking game. Our favorite kind is to watch a movie and see how many times they say a certain word." She checked the clock again, "Actually they should be here any minute." She paused for a second and looked lost in thought and then broke into a mischievous smile. "Hey how about you invite your brothers over? I've got a great idea."

"Oh yeah? And what might that be?" He asked.

"Never have I ever."

Less than half an hour later the eight of them were sitting in a circle in the middle of Luka's living room. Each had a shot glass in front of them and the bottle of Jack Daniel's was in the center. "Okay, I'm confused." Mikey said, "What are we doing?"

"We're playing never have I ever." Amanda responded, "It goes like this; we each take turns saying something that we have never done, if someone else in the group has done it then they have to drink a shot. We keep going until either the whiskey is all gone or all of us has passed out, whichever happens first." The guys exchanged nervous glances.

"Hey," Faye said, "digging up dirt is what this game is all about. No doubt Luka picked it so that we could get to know each other better in the most relaxed and embarrassing way possible."

Luka threw her head back and laughed, "You know me too well." Then she put her hand on Raph's knee, "Don't worry Amanda and I have known each other all our lives so you'll get to hear plenty of embarrassing things about me too."

"I'll start!" Faye said sounding a little too excited. She leveled a gaze directly at Luka, "Never have I ever been engaged."

All eyes turned to Luka whose face had gone from happy to homicidal in a split second, she gripped her full shot glass so hard it looked as though it would shatter in her hand. The four guys were in shock but none more than Raph, "You were engaged?"

She nodded slowly not taking her eyes off the girl across from her, "Were as in past tense. It's a sore subject that I hate talking about."

Faye just sat there with a sly smile, "Come on, drink."

Amanda gave Faye a warning look, "If you're not careful that shot glass is going to get thrown at your head." Again a ripple of shock went through the guys. Luka violent? They had never met anyone more passive except for maybe Shelley.

To everyone's relief though Luka did no more than glare at her raven haired friend as she threw back the whiskey like it was water. "That's okay Faye, just wait. I'm not the only one with skeletons in the closet." As she spoke her voice took on an Irish accent that hadn't been noticeable before.

But the guys noticed it now, "You've got an Irish accent." Donnie observed.

"Aye, I be Irish. So is Miss Amanda Mae too." She said, purposely over doing her accent to reduce the tension that had collected in the room.

Amanda nodded, "True story. Our parents came over Ireland on the same boat and settled in the same town. The accent is always there but it's not really noticeable unless we're either drunk, angry, or singing."

This bit of information gave Raph an idea, "So Luka if you're Irish then I bet you can hold your liquor."

She nodded, guessing where he was going with this, "Probably better than you can."

There was a chorus of ooohs from the other six friends. "A bet then," he suggested, "If I can out drink you then you have to tell me all about this engagement of yours."

Instantly her jaw clenched and Raph wondered if he crossed the line. After a moment of consideration she nodded, "Fine but if I win you have to tell me what your darkest fear is." He accepted this and they decided it would be Shelley's job to keep track of how many shots the two of the drank.

"Anyway, shall we continue the continue the game?" Shelley interjected, "I believe it's my turn." She tilted her head and thought for a moment giving Donnie the opportunity to admire her long graceful neck. "I've got it, never have I ever broken a bone."

This question gave Mikey his first taste of hard liquor. Everyone else watched in amusement as he shuddered and gagged as the liquid burned down his throat. Amanda and Luka drank as well but it barely fazed them.

"How did you break a bone? Fighting bad guys?" Faye asked the orange clad turtle next to her.

Regretfully he shook his head, "Psh I wish it was fighting bad guys. That stupid skateboard ramp jumped up and attacked just as I perfected this sweet move. I couldn't use my nunchucks for months."

All of the girl burst out laughing leaving the guys to wonder what was so funny. Seeing the hurt expression on Mikey's face Faye composed herself long enough to explain. "Sorry Mikey we weren't laughing at you. It's just that everyone here who has broken a bone did it via skateboard."

But then Luka turned to Amanda, "Does yours even count though? That was a fracture technically, not a break."

"I was in cast it counts. I swear that stupid skateboard of yours was cursed." She turned to the guys, "Both Luka and I broke our bones on the same day falling off the same skateboard. I didn't even realize I'd broken my arm until later that night when we were in the hospital later for Luka's leg."

Leo looked at the two girls, "Do you two do everything together?" He asked, kind of worried at how close the two girls appeared to be.

"Pretty close," Luka said, "We're more like sisters than friends." She then caught the uncomfortable look on his face, "Don't worry we typically don't interfere with each others love lives unless one of us is dating a total jerk."

This seemed to relieve the eldest turtle and they continued with the game. It was Amanda's turn now and she directed this question specifically at Shelley, "Never have I met the President."

Shelley shook her head with an amused smile, "Some how I knew you were going to do that," she said before downing her drink. As she brought the glass down she noticed the inquisitive looks the guys were giving her, "Dad is a senator." She explained.

Finally it was Luka's turn. She looked Faye directly in the eye, "Never have I ever been arrested." The look that came over Faye's face made everyone cringe. Everyone except Luka, her gaze never wavered as Faye took her shot.

"So what were you arrested for?" Mikey tentatively asked.

Trying her best to calm herself she shrugged as if it didn't matter, "Possession of pot and underage drinking. Nothing major just your typical teenage trouble."

Amanda broke the tension by playfully throwing a pillow at Faye, "That's Faye the partier of our little group. Without her life would be so much more boring. God knows these two don't know how to have fun." She said pointing at Shelley and Luka who she was sandwiched in between.

Clearly they had had this discussion before since Luka just rolled her eyes, "Yes I'm sorry I'm too busy being responsible to have any fun, and Shelley has to keep her parents happy or they stop paying for school. The last thing I want is for her to end up like me." Realizing what she said she ran her finger through her hair and looked at the group apologetically. "Sorry guys I guess I just haven't drunk enough." The turning her gaze to Raph she said, "And I've still got a bet to win so hop to it."

The red clad turtle wasn't entirely convinced that her problem was that she was still sober but that look she'd had on her face made his heart ache so he smiled at her then thought of the most ridiculous thing he could come up with hoping to get her to smile. "Neva have I eva kissed a toilet plunger."

As Leo drank the girls looked at him in disgust and confusion but he simply shook his head. Determined to get his revenge he looked at Raph, "Never have I ever picked a fight with an albino alligator."

Raph smirked as he thought of a way to turn around, "I woulda won too if you hadn't interfered."

A playful punch to the arm was Leo's reply, "You'd have been gator chow if I hadn't saved your shell."

More pillows flew, this time thrown by Shelley, "Okay boys simmer down. Donnie if you would be so kind."

He gave her his most charming smile, "Happy to oblige. Sorry Raph but I have to, never have I ever attacked someone with a pipe."

His brother gave him an annoyed look but drank anyway. Stealthily he looked over at Luka to see her reaction but she didn't seem to have one. Instead she was focusing on Mikey who was trying to think of something to say. "I've got it! Never have I ever had bad sex."

All four of the girls drank. "Uh Mikey, none of us had any kind of sex before." Donnie reminded him.

The other three groaned, "Ya didn't have ta tell them that brainiac." Raph said resisting the urge to smack his brother upside the head.

Shelley looked at them very seriously, "Sex isn't all it's cracked up to be and it's better to wait anyway. I wish I had." The other girls nodded in agreement, "Besides virgin guys are so rare just think of it as something that makes you special."

"That's sweet but I don't think we need help in the special department," said Donnie.

"Yeah Mikey's cornered the market on special," Raph said. Everyone in the group laughed except Mikey who was too busy protesting indignantly.

They all spent the rest of the night drinking, teasing, and saying everything possible to embarrass everyone else. The more drunk they more outrageous the game got. It wasn't until about midnight with Mikey passed out that they decided to call it quits and go to sleep. Until they realized none of them were in any condition to move so they decided to keep drinking until they passed out where they fell. And there they stayed until they woke the next morning.

**The turtles getting drunk? Bet you didn't see that coming. But what's the story behind Luka's ex-fiance? Stay tuned to find out!**


	6. Chapter 6: Heart of the Ocean

**Hi everyone here is chapter six as promised. The song I use in this chapter is my favorite song of all time "Heart of the Ocean" by Gaelic storm. If you haven't heard it I highly encourage you to look it up. Please don't forget to review or message me with any ideas. Enjoy!**

The sun rose through the east facing window of the apartment, rudely awakening the eight people inside. Mikey woke up to find that Faye was laying half on top of him; her left arm and leg draped over him. Rather than get up which was what his body was telling him to do he laid there looking at the beautiful noirette on his chest. After nineteen years of waking up alone he wanted to savor every moment of waking next to someone. A few feet away he heard Raph stir and gently lifted his head to look at his brother. That's when the hangover hit. The headache hit him so hard it felt like Master Splinter had whalloped him with his cane. He would have just laid there and waited for the pain to pass but his stomach had different ideas. A wave a nausea hit him and he hurried to the bathroom as fast as he could. It took a good five minutes of emptying his stomach into the toilet before he felt that he could stand without too much issue. As he opened the door Faye pushed past him and slammed the door behind her. Standing outside he heard the sound of her throwing up as well. Taking a gamble he opened the door again and carefully held her hair back for her. He knelt beside her and rubbed her back with his free hand, marveling at just how soft her hair was and how she could look so stunning even while horribly hungover.

Back out in the living room Raph had been woken by the sound of the slamming door. Instinctively he was about to jump into attack position but before he could even start to move he was stopped by an unfamiliar weight on his plastron. He looked down to see Luka's head laying on his chest, her hand loosely curled in a ball next to her face. This was the first time he'd seen her truly relaxed and it made her even more beautiful than before. Protectively he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes again. A faint whiff of her perfume wafted into his nose as he breathed in. It wasn't a smell he could place but it reminded him of a meadow full of flowers and summertime. The motion of his arms woke the sleeping girl. As her eyes opened she looked slightly confused and slowly sat up and looked at Raph.

"Mornin' beautiful,"

"Umm, good morning." She said, not quite sure what to make of the situation.

Her confusion and uncertainty did not escape the red clad turtle's notice, "You okay Luka?" his rough voice conveying his obvious concern.

This question seemed to only confuse her more, "Yeah I'm fine. I, um, just have a headache. The hangover ya know. I'm gonna make some coffee so it's ready when the others wake up." And with that she pushed herself off him and quickly disappeared into the kitchen leaving Raph to wonder what the shell just happened.

After she had gone Raph realized that he had a killer headache too. It was a familiar feeling, he got drunk with Casey often enough that he knew a hangover when he felt it. He slowly sat up and waited several moments for the nausea to pass before going into the kitchen for coffee. By this time the other four were also awake and Mikey and Faye had come out of the bathroom. Shelley and Don seemed to be in pretty good shape but then again, Raph reflected, neither of them drank very much last night either. He looked over at his eldest brother and was not surprised to see him meditating his hangover away; Amanda on the other hand had disappeared into the kitchen, presumably to help with breakfast.

Amanda half walked, half stumbled into the kitchen to find Luka busying herself with frying bacon and flipping pancakes, it always amazed her just how quickly Luka could throw a good meal together. Fighting her throbbing head and churning stomach she walked across the kitchen and took the spatula from her friends hands, "Sweetie what's wrong?"

With one task taken off her hands Luka turned to flipping the bacon, "Nothing, just cooking breakfast like I do every time we do this." She responded, not look the red head in the eye.

"Bullshit, you're a horrible liar now tell me what's wrong." She replied shaking the batter covered spatula at the other girl, heedless of the mess she was making.

That got Luka to turn around and give Amanda a weak half smile, "I'm not a horrible liar, you just know me too well." Just then the rest of the group walked in, saving Luka from having to answer her friend's question. Instead she turned to the sick and sleepy group, "Hey guys breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes. Help yourselves to coffee." It did not escape Amanda's notice that she was avoiding eye contact with Raph, and a quick glance at Raph told her that he noticed it too.

The others didn't notice anything as they all got coffee and sat themselves around the table. Raphael hung back awkwardly unsure if he should take a seat or help Luka with pancakes. Finally after a sarcastic comment from Faye he decided to sit next to Donnie. It wasn't until breakfast was laid out and everyone was eating that Leo brought up something that the rest of them had all but forgotten about. "So who won the bet last night?"

All eyes turned to Shelley who put down her coffee cup and tilted her head in thought, "You know, I'm pretty sure it was a tie."

For the first time that morning Luka looked at Raph but it was with mixture of fear and annoyance poorly concealed by false nonchalance. Those disturbing emotions were only there for a few fleeting moments before vanishing and being replaced with a bright smile and cheery tone, "Well that should be interesting. What could a strong brave turtle like yourself possibly be afraid of I wonder." The sudden change in emotion shocked Raph out of any witty reply.

For the most part the conversation consisted primarily of recapping last night. Mikey had been particularly amused by Leo using a blanket for a cape and parading around the living room announcing that he was the Turtle Titan.

"Wow, I still can't believe you actually met the president." Donnie said to Shelley in amazement.

She shrugged her shoulders and took another bite of her pancakes, "It's really not that big of a deal, I mean he's kind of a prick actually, and all he really does is absently say hello when we meet at certain functions Daddy makes me go to."

Leo took another sip of coffee, "So you don't like politics?" He asked, surprised at how unenthusiastic she was.

"No I like politics, don't get me wrong, it's all the stuffy parties I can't stand. Being forced to wear high heels for hours and be polite to people you either don't know or don't like gets old after a while. Thankfully between school and the band I've been able to get out of most of them." She finished up her breakfast and put her plate in the sink.

This seemed to be the queue for everyone else to start cleaning up as well and again it didn't escape Raph's notice that every time he tried to get close to Luka she would put distance between them. Eventually he gave up and decided that he'd wait until after the show later, although at that point it didn't matter because in a few minutes all eight of them had gathered around the window in the living room to say goodbye.

"All right, we girls got a lot to do before tonight so you boys shoo and we'll see you later." Faye said making a shooing motion with her hands.

Amanda nodded, "Yeah we'll see you guys tonight, and don't you dare be late."

Leo gave her an amused look, "We wouldn't dream of it." The four turtles disappeared out the window and down into the manhole cover below.

Once again Amanda studied the brunette beside her but there was no time for her to question her friend further since they all had things that had to be done before they could meet up at the club. The first of which was getting clean.

"Ugh I feel disgusting." Faye complained examining a length of hair, "My hair is so greasy, it's a wonder Mikey didn't gag when he held it back."

Luka nudged her side playfully, "No it's more surprising that you puking all over the place didn't make him gag. Honestly with all the practice you've had you should be a pro at hangovers by now."

She elbowed her friend back and replied "Well sorry not all of us can come from a family of alcoholics."

Before the banter could go any further Shelley interrupted, "All right so we all know the drill, go home get cleaned up, get everything together then meet at my place for a last minute check right?"

They all agreed and went their separate ways, leaving Luka to clean up the mess in the apartment. Compared to other times they had gotten drunk together this was nothing she thought as she studied the living room. The now empty bottle of Jack was on its side and only a few of the shot glasses were standing upright. She gathered them up quick, throwing out the bottle and putting the glasses in the sink to be washed later. Even the bathroom after facing both Mikey's and Faye's hangovers was in pretty good shape. In less than an hour she had everything clean, including herself. While gathering up everything she found that the only think she could think about was Raph. It had been more than a year since she had woken up next to someone and the fact that she had only know that person for less than a week only made it more awkward. Even Amanda, who was more like a sister than a friend didn't understand. Ever since things had ended with her ex-fiance she refused to open herself up like that again. Being vulnerable like that could only end painfully. Something Amanda didn't get. Every time a guy checked out Luka or flirted with her Amanda would point it out and try to get her to flirt back. She knew that the red head was only trying to help, that she didn't like seeing her soul sister alone but that didn't make it any less annoying, or painful. She felt somewhat bad for giving Raph the cold shoulder this morning, but, she rationalized, it's not likely that he likes her like that anyway. In all the text messages and late night phone calls they'd shared while he was grounded he never hinted any feelings. Still, it seemed the more she tried to put him out of her mind the harder it was not to think about him, and that scared her.

Back at the lair the guys had gathered in the living room, Raph and Mikey had claimed the old worn out couch while Leo and Donnie claimed the two equally aged chairs. Breakfast had really helped to cure their hangovers but they still wanted nothing more than to sit back and talk about last nights events. Mikey patted his stomach contentedly, "Man Raph your girlfriend sure can cook."

"She ain't my girlfriend." He said a little more gruffly than he meant to. Her behavior this morning had left him confused and slightly annoyed.

Used to his moods by now his brothers ignored the edge to his voice, "I still can't believe she used to be engaged," Leo said.

"Me neither," Donnie said, shaking his head, "More importantly I'm surprised at how touchy she was about it. Did you guys see the look she gave Faye when she brought it up?"

The other three nodded, "Hell yeah I did," Mikey said, "I thought we were going to have a cat fight on our hands."

"What I wanna know is, if a guy was lucky enough ta be engaged ta Luka why would he let her go?" Raph asked.

None of his brother had an answer so they changed the subject, that is until the sound of Master Splinter's cane broke up the conversation. "Good morning my sons. Did you enjoy yourselves last night?"

All four of them stood a bowed, "Yes sensei." Leo replied as he stood straight, "We're sorry for staying out so late."

This brought a smile to the old rat's face, "Do not apologize my son, it warms my heart to see you boys having fun with people your own age. Now though it time for your training." Ignoring the collective groans from his sons he led them into the open space outside of his room reserved for training. There was no more room for talk as they spent the next few hours going through katas and sparring with each other.

At eight that night the guys sneaked into the Green Martini through the back door, pausing just inside the building. "What do you think guys?" Leo asked, "Surprise the girls before hand or meet them after the show?"

The other three thought about it for a moment before Donnie spoke up, "After would probably be best. They're most likely already nervous and us showing up would make them even more so." Raph and Mikey agreed but their brother wasn't done speaking, "Although, we could stand close to the stage so they can see us."

"Good," Leo agreed, "Now that we have a plan of action let's get into costume."

Donnie pulled a bunch of clothes out of his duffle bag and passed them out to his brothers. The baggy jeans and hoodies concealed their identities allowing them to sneak up to the main part of the club and blend seamlessly into the crowd. "Oh yeah baby, stealth mode for the win." Mikey whispered to his brothers as they looked for a spot that would give them a clear view of the stage. The club was not at all what they had expected. Rather than being dark with strobe lights and blaring techno music it was softly lit and most of the patrons were milling about talking and flirting. Rather than high tables with stools there were lounge areas with couches and coffee tables, some more private than others. After looking around the guys decided that the best place to get the girls attention would be right up front by the stage.

Set up on the right side of the stage was the keyboard and bench that Raph had seen in Luka's bedroom that first morning. Front and center was a microphone and on the ground next to it was an amp with acoustic electric guitar leaning against it. In the back left was a drum set. The guys had just begun wondering when the show would start when the lights over the stage turned blue and the four girls walked out. They were smiling and confidant as the crowd began to congregate closer to the stage. Faye took her place at the drum set and Shelley with a flute in her hand stood behind and to the left of the keyboard. Amanda picked up the guitar and turned on the amp while Luka walked up to the microphone to address the audience, "Good evening, we are Murphey's Law. If you've been to one of our shows before then you'll know that this is the only cover song we do and the only one that I'll be singing. This song is very special to me and I hope you love it as much as I do. Ladies and gentleman I give you Heart of the Ocean." Before her voice had faded the combination of a soulful flute and soft steady guitar picking filled the room. As Luka opened her mouth and began singing all conversation stopped.

"Candlelight dies at the window  
And the night wind blows soft from the sea  
Though I lie in your arms, I'm a thousand miles away  
On the waves sailing fast, sailing free

Now I'm bound for the heart of the ocean  
I'm riding the sea in my soul  
In the dark and the deep  
She will rock me to sleep  
Down below... where the black waters roll

When the sea birds cry out in the morning  
And the sun lays its kiss on the sand  
I'll be drawn to the shore  
Like so many times before  
As I long to be far from the land.

Now I'm bound for the heart of the ocean  
I'm riding the sea in my soul  
In the dark and the deep  
She will rock me to sleep  
Down below... where the black waters roll

I can still hear your voice on the trade winds  
I can still taste your tears on the foam  
But the lure of the tide that I'm feeling inside  
Will not rest till my heart finds its home

Now my heart is the heart of the ocean  
There are storms from the sea in my soul  
I'm restless and deep  
And before I can sleep  
I must go... where the black waters roll

Where the black waters roll  
Where the black waters roll  
Where the black waters roll..."

Raphael was blown away, not only was her voice beautiful but she became a completely different person when she sang. It seemed as though all of her worries melted away with the music. As the last noted faded she looked over the crowd with a smile, "Well folks let's not keep you waiting anymore we all know who you came here to listen to. Let's give it up for Amanda Mae!" With that Luka let her bandmate take center stage and took her own place at the keyboard. The music that they played the rest of night was unlike anything the guys had ever heard. It reminded Donnie of Cristina Perri but with a distinct Irish twist and without the depressing heartbreak. In fact, he noted, there were no love songs at all in the set. He watched Shelley draw the bow across her violin strings, adding tension or class to the atmosphere depending on the song.

Leo only had eyes for Amanda, her accent only enhanced her voice and the songs. The emotion that she put into each lyric was entrancing and he couldn't bear to break the mood by getting her attention. One look at his brothers told him that they felt the same way. They just looked so alive up there on stage and he had the feeling that it was the only place where they felt truly at home. Poor Mikey could barely see Faye behind the drums but that was the point. The percussion rarely was meant to do anything more than set beat for the other three and keep them in time with one another. For the next two hours the guys were spellbound although Amanda did notice and acknowledge them briefly. Finally when the girls ended the set and left the stage the guys headed back there as stealthily as possible.

When they met the girls back stage they dropped all stealth, "Man you guys were awesome! I've never heard anyone play like that!" Mikey excalimed wrapping Faye up in a hug.

She looked at him dumbfounded, "Mikey? Is that you under that hideous sweater?"

The guys took off their costumes and Donnie put them back in his bag. "Well it was either that or hide in the rafters," Leo told her.

Amanda grabbed his hand, "I'm glad you guys enjoyed it, and that no one saw you. Come one let's get out of here." He blushed a little bit unsure what to say so she took that as a yes and grabbed her coat before dragging him out the door.

As she put her violin and flute in their cases Shelley looked at Donnie, "You know that's not a bad idea. The rest of gear will be taken care of for us and taken back to my place but it's a nice night out so why don't we go someplace private for a while." He nodded and followed her out the door as well.

The remaining four looked at each other wordlessly for a few moments before Faye and Mikey also decided to find someplace more private, leaving Luka and Raph alone. She avoided his gaze awkwardly until finally he spoke up, "They've got the right idea ya know. Why don't we find someplace ta talk. Then you can find out what this brave strong turtle is afraid of." She gave him a weak smile and nodded. Together the disappeared into the night.

**So all four couples go their separate ways, anything could happen...Stay tuned for chapter 7 tomorrow morning. :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Just a Kiss

__**Good morning everyone! Here is chapter 7 as promised. The song is "Just a Kiss" by Lady Antebellum which I do not own nor do I own the turtles. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

_Lyin' here with you so close to me__  
__It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe__  
__Caught up in this moment__  
__Caught up in your smile_

In a secluded corner of Central Park Leo and Amanda laid down on the grass and looked up at the sky. It was one of the few places in city where the stars were actually visible through the light pollution. He had found this place years ago and often came here to think. "This place is amazing," she said with a sigh, "One of the things I miss most about New Hampshire is the stars."

"Yeah there's not many places where you can see them here. I usually come here after Raph and I get into a fight to calm down."

Even though it was nearly impossible to see in the clearing she rolled over on her side to face him, "You guys fight a lot?"

He nodded still staring at the stars, "He's a hot head who hates being told what to do and I'm the Fearless Leader who's supposed to be in charge and under control. Yeah we butt heads a lot but only because he has to rush headlong into everything rather than stopping to think for a moment."

She let out a small laugh, "Wow talk about a role reversal."

Leo sat up and looked down at her, "What do you mean?"

Instead of sitting up and joining him she laid back down and put her hands behind her head, "In our band Luka is the leader and the responsible one and I'm the one who can't stand sitting down and planning stuff. I'd be perfectly happy to just go out on stage and play whatever songs we felt like in whatever order but since the band is her baby we do what she wants. I try not to fight her too much on it. I'm the only family she has left."

A hint of a smile came across the turtles face, "Well it's a good thing you're not hard on her because it's not easy being the leader, especially when it feels like you're the only one who's trying to be responsible. Donnie gets so wrapped up in his tinkering that he sometimes forgets to come to practice and Mikey is always goofing off and not paying attention. It drives Splinter nuts because he has so much natural talent but he can't focus and never takes anything seriously. Then of course there's Raph."

Finally she sat up and put her hand on his shoulder, "Maybe you need to lighten up a bit, and don't look at me like that you know it's true. It's okay to be responsible but if you try to stay strong all the time then eventually the pressure will crush you and you won't be useful to anyone.. I know, I've seen it happen to Luka before. Instead of trying to get your brothers to take everything more seriously maybe you could try taking everything less seriously once in a while."

Deep down inside he knew she was right. Sometimes the stress and responsibility became too much to bear and he lost focus and patience. Which experience has taught him leads to mistakes. Still if there was one flaw that him and Raphael shared it was that they hated to admit that they might be wrong so instead of replying he looked back up at the stars. "You were really amazing tonight, I've never heard anyone sing like that before. It was like you channeled your emotions into the music."

He thought he caught a hint of blush but in the darkness it was hard to tell, "Thanks, my mom taught Luka and I to play the piano but she was always better than me at that. Mom recognized that my talent was singing and even though we didn't have much her and dad always managed to scrap together the money to pay for voice lessons for me."

There was an uncharacteristic sadness in her voice that made Leo want to comfort her, "You must miss them." He said as he put his arm around her.

Instead of pulling away she leaned her head on his shoulder, "I call them every day to let them know I'm safe. They worry. A small town girl in a big city, anything can happen. But they knew that there was no future for me back there. I go back whenever I have a few days off and they send me money to help me with bills but yeah I miss them a lot."

_I've never opened up to anyone__  
__So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms__  
__We don't need to rush this__  
__Let's just take it slow_

For a long while they just sat there together in silence enjoying the moment. If Amanda put her ear to Leo's chest she could hear his heartbeat, it was a comforting sound that made her feel safe and protected. He pulled her in closer and leaned his head on hers. As he breathed he could smell her shampoo, it smelled like he always imagined the ocean would. Fitting, he thought, since she's beautiful but unpredictable. One moment she could be calm and the next a storm would come in. Eventually she pushed herself off him and looked into his eyes, "Leo I don't really like to beat around the bush much so I'm just going to come out and say that I like you. Like a lot, and not just as a friend." He stared at her dumbfounded, the shock of the moment had made him mute. Capitalizing on his silence she kept talking, "There's just something about you that I find myself drawn to. I mean you're strong and protective and caring and sensitive. You're even really handsome in your own way. I know it's only been a week since we met but we've hung out a lot and talked a lot and I feel like I know you really well and I want to get to know you even better." She realized she was rambling and quickly shut up so that he could process what she had just told him.

It took a few more moments for him to come to his senses. He reached for her hand and held it gently, "Amanda I don't know what to say, I mean I like you too but you're a human and I'm not. How would we even work?"

The instant the words left his mouth he regretted them, the first and probably only human to like him and he was pushing her away, but instead of being hurt and pulling away she cupped his face with the hand he wasn't holding. "Leo, when I look at you I don't see a turtle. I see Leonardo Hamato and I know a relationship with you would be complicated but I'm willing to try it. If we don't try then we'll never know."

Touched he reached for her other hand and held that one too, "You are without a doubt the most amazing woman I have ever met. Every time I turn around you surprise me again. You're right, we can at least give it a shot. I just never thought this would happen to me. My brothers and I always thought that no woman could ever have feelings for us, that no one could look past our freakish appearances to get to know who we are underneath."

All of a sudden she became very serious, "Leo, you are not a freak. You are many things but a freak isn't one of them. Trust me I've seen plenty of freaks over in East Village. You and your brothers are not the strangest things this city has ever seen but you just might be the best."

Leo became overwhelmed with a feeling he had never felt before growing inside him, unable to resist he leaned in and kissed her softly. The kiss took her completely off guard but once the feeling of surprise passed she kissed him back just as tenderly. It only last for a few moments but it left them both breathless and blushing. "I-I'm sorry Amanda I didn't mean-"

She cut him off by giving him a quick sudden kiss, "Don't be sorry. For a guy who's never spent much time with girls you're a remarkably good kisser."

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight__  
__Just a touch of the fire burning so bright__  
__No I don't want to mess this thing up__  
__I don't want to push too far__  
__Just a shot in the dark that you just might__  
__Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life__  
__So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight_

Unable to come with a response he put his arm around her again and pulled her close. "So I know Luka quit school but what about you? Are you still going?"

He felt her nod against her chest, "I wanted to quit at first, I didn't think it would be fair for Luka to be stuck working two jobs while I was sitting in class but she threatened to throw me into the harbor if I dropped out. Besides my parents sacrificed so much to make sure I could go to NYU, it would break my heart to disappoint them. And this way I can share whatever I learn in class with Luka so she's still learning just not officially."

"So is that where you met Faye and Shelley?"

She nodded again, "The four of us were in class together, at first we couldn't stand those two and didn't see how they could possibly be friends. We assumed Shelley was a stuck up spoiled rich girl because of who her dad was and Faye always seemed to walk around with a chip on her shoulder. Yet some how they were inseparable, and our professor threw us into a group together so often that we eventually got over it and became friends. Once Luka learned that Faye was whizz at the drums and that Shelley had been taking music lessons since she was five that sealed the deal."

_I know that if we give this a little time__  
__It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find__  
__It's never felt so real, no it's never felt so right_

She let out a huge yawn and Leo realized just how late it was. "I should get you home. You've had a long day and probably have work in the morning." He said as he stood up and pulled her up with him. Without a word she slipped her hand into his. Despite him only having three fingers it felt as though his hand was where her's were meant to be. Amanda had dated lots of guys in past but she knew that there was something different about Leo and what she was feeling for him but she wasn't one to analyze things so she just accepted that for now she liked him and he liked her. That was all that mattered right now.

Hand in hand they sneaked back to the street and he picked out a deserted alley. Once they were safely hidden in the shadows he scooped her up into his arms and climbed the fire escape. She marveled at how quiet and agile he was as he landed on the roof without disturbing so much as a pebble. He carried her all the way back to her apartment which was only a couple of blocks from Luka's. When they reached her bedroom window he set her down and stood there unsure of what he should do next. Sensing his unease she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a hug. "Thank you for a wonderful night Leo, and for coming to the show."

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight__  
__Just a touch of the fire burning so bright__  
__No I don't want to mess this thing up__  
__I don't want to push too far__  
__Just a shot in the dark that you just might__  
__Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life__  
__So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight__  
__No I don't want to say goodnight__  
__I know it's time to leave, but you'll be in my dreams__Tonight__  
__Tonight__  
__Tonight_

He hugged her back, enjoying the simple pleasure of being hugged by a girl who cared for him. No matter where this relationship led he was determined to hold onto and make the most of each moment they shared and to not take a second spent with her for granted. "Any time Amanda, any time." Once again he kissed her and this time there was no hesitation. She melted into him as he pulled her in closer. When they broke apart he brought her hand up to his lips and gave it a gentlemanly kiss. "Sweet dreams Amanda," he whispered before disappearing onto the roof.

She watched the direction he had gone in for several seconds before whispering into the darkness, "Sweet dreams to you as well Leonardo." After changing into her pajamas she climbed into bed, still think about him and their perfect first date.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight__  
__Just a touch of the fire burning so bright__  
__No I don't want to mess this thing up__  
__I don't want to push too far__  
__Just a shot in the dark that you just might__  
__Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life__  
__So baby I'm alright, oh, let's do this right, with just a kiss goodnight__  
__With a kiss goodnight__  
__Kiss goodnight_

__**Aww isn't that sweet Leo got his first kiss. Who will be up next? Stay tuned to find out.**


	8. Chapter 8: Angel Eyes

**Good evening fellow ninjas! Here is chapter 8. The song is "Angel Eyes" by Love and Theft. Don't forget to leave a review.**_  
_

_She likes whiskey with her water  
She starts dancing when the stars come out  
She ain't your typical preacher's daughter  
She'll leave you dreamin' yeah there ain't no doubt_

The skate park was illuminated by pale streetlights showing the faint outlines of two figures sitting at the top of the half pipe. At this late hour of the night there was no one around, Michelangelo didn't even hear any traffic which was both relieving and unsettling at the same time. He looked over the skate park wistfully, "Man I wish I had my skateboard," he thought out loud. More than anything right now he wanted to show off for Faye, impress her with his unique mix of ninjitsu and skateboarding but he hadn't thought to bring it. A ninja is always prepared, he could hear Master Splinter's voice chastising him.

"So why don't we go get it?" Fate asked, it had amused her to see him so thoughtful. He was so fun loving and goofy that it was hard to remember that he was more intelligent than most humans. She looked at him with a smile, even his brothers seemed to forget sometimes, causing them to underestimate him. Mikey caught the amused look she was giving him and countered with his most winning smile. "I'm serious," she told him, although the look on her face said otherwise, "I've been dying to see that amazing move you perfected before the ramp...how did you put it? Jumped up and attacked you?"

The panicked expression that replaced his smile was almost enough to crack through her semblance of seriousness. "Nuh-uh. I'm never doing that again, not being able to use my nunchucks was torture. I will do anything but that."

The words no sooner left his mouth before he regretted them. "Oh?" She said archly. With swiftness and grace that surprised him she stood, pulling him up with her. Before he could recover from the sudden movement she pulled him in close and held him as though they were dancing in a ballroom, "Dance with me," she whispered in his ear.

A shiver went down his spine, it was a mixture of delight and fear. The feel of having Faye so close to him was thrilling but the idea of dancing made him freeze in place. "I don't know. I've never danced before,"

"It's okay," She said, "I'll teach you." Before he could protest and further she began leading him into a waltz. There wasn't much dancing room at the top of the ramp so she had to alter the steps a bit but to her surprise he caught on quick. He was so graceful even if he lacked confidence and that didn't matter for every long because the more they danced the more sure of himself he became, eventually taking over the lead. Thanks to his training he had complete control over each movement he made. Faye ended the dance with a twirl and stopped less than an inch away from his face. She could see the color rise in his cheeks so to save him from being too uncomfortable she dropped her hands and took a step back. "You must have been lying when you said you'd never danced before." She told him, sitting back down, "I've had a lot of dance partners and you definitely in the top ten."

The pretend hurt look on his made her laugh echo across the empty park, "Only the top ten?" Suddenly becoming serious he asked another question, "Where did you learn to dance? You don't exactly seem like the ballroom type."

"To answer that I guess you need to learn how I met Shelley." She said, her face becoming just as serious as hers.

"Yeah I was wondering about that. You guys are even more unlikely friends than April and Casey." He looked at her and saw that she had a far away look that made him wonder if she was still with him., "Uh Faye?"

"I'm still here," She said with a nod, "And Shelley and I aren't friends. We're sisters."

_There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes__  
__She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side__  
__Got a rebel heart a country mile wide__  
__There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes__  
__A little bit of devil in her angel eyes_

Mikey simply stared at her. Sisters? But they looked nothing a like, acted nothing a like. How could they possibly be related in anyway? But she didn't leave him wondering long. "Best to start from the very beginning then." She said shifting a little bit to get more comfortable on the cold hard concrete, "It's the typical story of anyone who grew up in the projects. Mom was a crack whore who'd sell herself to anyone who'd give her drugs and Dad was an alcoholic, if he wasn't passed out drunk on the couch he was beating me and my siblings." She spoke matter of factly, not giving any hint that bringing up these memories brought up a lifetime of pain,

"Don't feel bad for me Mikey, that was normal for me and everyone I knew. I thought that's how everyone lived. When I was thirteen my mom tried to sell me for drugs, nothing mattered to her except her next fix. Luckily I managed to run away and I never looked back. Even being homeless was better than being back in that shit hole. I mostly panhandled for money, oh there were guys who offered money for me to do other stuff but I never took any of them up on it. The ones that wouldn't take no for an answer found that I wasn't such an easy target. One of the few things I can thank Dad for, I'm very good at recognizing people that might hurt me and avoid them. One day I was starving and my begging wasn't getting me anywhere so I decided to rob someone. I'd never done it before, never wanted to but I was so desperate. I saw a rich looking guy walking alone, there was nobody else on the street and it couldn't have been more perfect. So I pulled a knife on him and demanded his wallet, instead of being afraid or getting angry he just gave me this pitying look. I'll never forget what he said. He just looked at me and asked 'Why?' At first I thought he was an idiot but he just kept giving me that look, I'd never gotten any sympathy or pity from anyone. I broke down crying and told him everything. He never said a word, just held me as I talked and cried. Once I was done he offered to take me to his home and give me a decent meal and let me get clean. At first I thought he wanted what every other guy wanted and he was just being clever about it but eventually he convinced me. I ended up staying for three days. It was the first time in my life I'd ever had enough to eat, wasn't cold and there were no strings attached but I didn't want to stay there. This guy had a life, a family and I couldn't intrude on that. So the third day I was there I walked into his study and told him I thanked him for everything and told him I was leaving. To my surprise he asked me to sit down, said he had something he wanted to ask me. He asked me if I wanted a family."

Finally she turned to look at him and he saw that her eyes were filled him both happiness and sadness, he put his arm around her without even thinking and she didn't resist as he pulled her close to him. Once they were settled comfortably against each other she began talking again, "He explained that he wanted to adopt me. His daughter was horribly spoiled and needed someone to teach her that life could be cruel and I needed a home and loving family. I had seen first hand how bad his daughter was. More than once over the three days she made comments about filth stinking up her house but I'd be damned if I was going to take her shit and every time she tried to start something I'd cut her down to pieces. After thinking about his offer for a while I agreed, after all what were my options? Go back to the streets and die of starvation or exposure? Sell myself? This stranger was offering me a chance at a life I never even knew existed and all I had to do was tame his spoiled brat." Then she looked up at Mikey with an amused smile, "You'd never guess that Shelley used to be a typical stuck up bitch would you? She still can be once in a while."

Mikey was thunderstruck, never had he imagined that someone could go through so much hardship and come out whole. "Faye, I'm sorry."

"Why?" She asked, pulling away from him to get a better look at him, "None of what happened is your fault and to be honest I wouldn't change any of it. Everything that happened in my life, the good and the bad all have made me the person I am to day and got me where I am. If I hadn't been born into that kind of hardship and had to go through all of that I wouldn't be the same person you see here. We might not have even met."

"Man I don't even want to think about that," He said, "Now I'm all conflicted. I feel that you had to go through all of that but I'm glad that I met you." In the light he could see her blush, "You're strong and independent and just all around amazing, I can't imagine what it would be like to not know you."

Faye stared at him shocked and flattered. The knowledge of how much it cost Michelangelo to admit that did not escape her but after talking so much before now words escaped her. Rather than struggle to find the words to express herself she planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

_Saturday night she's rockin' out by the bonfire  
Flirting from that tail gate and crankin' up the dial  
Come Sunday mornin' she'll be singing with the choir  
Drivin' me crazy with that kiss me smile_

There was a spark the moment their lips touched and for once in his life Mikey didn't hesitate, he returned the kiss with just as much passion. When they broke apart it left them both breathless. "Wow." Faye said leaning her forehead against his, "A great dancer, a great kisser, funny. Is there anything you're not good at?"

With a chuckle he kissed her again quickly, "Alas I must confess fair maiden I am hopeless when it comes to the drums."

She gave an exaggerated gasp and held her hand to her heart, "No, say it isn't so. My prince charming is tone deaf. Whatever shall I do?"

"Well I know what I'm going to do." He said standing up and striking a heroic pose announced his intentions, "I'm going to take my princess to infinity and beyond!" He helped her up and then scooped her up in her arms, "And by infinity and beyond I mean home. It's past midnight Cinderella and your fairy godmother insisted you get your beauty sleep. Even though you're already perfect."

_There's a little bit of devil in those angel eyes  
She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side  
Got a rebel heart a country mile wide  
There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes  
There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes  
And I can't stop wonderin' what it would feel like, to hold her all night  
She's got that something, that sexy innocence, she must be heaven sent_

He carried her all the way home, marveling at his good luck. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine to hold a girl in his arms who wasn't unconscious or freaking out, now he was someone's prince charming, and she was his princess. A wild and fun princess. Thinking back to his childhood he remembered watching Disney movies with his brothers and dreaming about having that kind of love knowing that it would never happen. For some reason he had always loved Aladdin, the idea of a princess who was able to fall in love with a beggar gave Mikey hope that maybe someday he would do the same. He had always felt more like the court jester than a prince but holding Faye close he knew that in her eyes at least he was more than just a a green goofball in a mask. Every time he looked in her eyes he saw the man that he could be, that he wanted to be for her.

Faye caught him gazing at her with a look she was not used to seeing in a guys eyes. He was looking at her like she was the only girl in the world and that made her truly feel like a princess, something she had never expected. Michelangelo was one of a kind in every way and looking at him she knew that life would never be boring again and no matter what kind of challenges being with him would bring her she was willing to do it. That kiss they had shared was the beginning of something special. She knew he had felt that spark between them too and wanted to kindle it from a spark into a flame.

"It would probably be best if you didn't drop me off right at my house." She told him when they got within a block.

Surprised he stopped and set her down, "Why do you say that?" He asked, worried he had done something wrong.

Giggling she hugged him, "Because there's security cameras silly. I'm sure you photogenic but I'd rather not test that right now. Don't worry handsome, I'll see you soon,"

He held her close, reluctant to let go. "Okay princess. You're carriage stops here, but your prince will wait impatiently for our next meeting." Finally he knew it was time to say goodbye, after one last kiss he watched her climb off the roof and walk home. As he headed back to his own home with his heart full an unfamiliar but happy feeling.

_There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes  
She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side  
Got a rebel heart a country mile wide  
There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes  
There's a little bit of devil in those angel eyes_

_She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side  
Got a rebel heart a country mile wide  
There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes  
There's a little bit of devil in her  
In those angel, in those angel eyes_

**I had a ton of fun writing this chapter even though it was really hard getting Mikey's character right. Stay tuned for chapter nine coming to a computer near you tomorrow morning!**_  
_


	9. Chapter 9: Wanted

**Hi everyone, hope you've been enjoying the story so far. The song in this one is "Wanted" by Hunter Hayes. Don't forget to review!**

_You know I'd fall apart without you  
I don't know how you do what you do  
'Cause everything that don't make sense about me  
Makes sense when I'm with you_

In a small private playground not far from her house Shelley sat the top of the jungle gym gazing at the city lights around her. One rung below sat Donatello who was taking the opportunity to admire her silhouette. At this time of night few of the streetlights surrounding them were lit giving him just enough light to see but not enough to make him uncomfortable. There was a comfortable silence between them that no one was eager to break. Finally Don inquired, "So which house is yours?"

She pointed to an elaborate three story brownstone on the corner. "That one there." Then she looked down at him, "I'd like to see your place sometime. I bet it's amazing." Donnie made a panicked strangled sort of sound, "You okay?" She asked with concern.

"Yeah I'm okay just a little surprised. You do know I live in a sewer right? It stinks down there, and my brothers and I aren't exactly the neatest of turtles." Like an acrobat he swung off his rung and landed gracefully next to her.

"You almost sound like you're ashamed of where you come from." She said as she rested her hand on top of his, "If you think I'm so stuck up that I'd stop liking you because you don't live in a mansion then you are sorely mistaken. Maybe when I was younger I would have looked down on you but that was before I met Faye."

It was with a smile that he wrapped his fingers around hers. "How did you guys meet?"

"Dad adopted her." She shook her head, causing her hair to come loose and Don marvled at how it shimmered in the light, "What happened to her before then is not my story to tell. I will tell you that the main reason Dad brought her into our family was to bring me down to Earth. Before I met her I was your typical spoiled rich girl. Actually a more accurate term would be bitch." The shocked look on his face made her laugh, "Sorry to use that kind of language but it's true. I was horribly stuck up. If you didn't have as much money as me I wouldn't talk to you, and if a guy wasn't handsome I wouldn't give him the time of day. Dad saw this and knew he didn't want his daughter growing up thinking that being rich gave me the right to treat other people like dirt, so he brought in Faye. For the first few months all I did was insult her, try to pull her down but nothing I said seemed to faze her. Finally she told me all the things she went through before coming to live with us, that was when I realized just how lucky I was, and how most people weren't that lucky. Even now she keeps me in check, whenever my head starts getting too big she's right there with a pin to pop it."

The image of Shelley's head like a balloon and Faye deflating it with a pin made Don laugh so hard he started crying. Eventually he managed to get himself under control, "Sorry Shelley I wasn't laughing at you." Slowly his expression sobered, "Honestly I can't picture you being stuck up. You're so down to earth and normal."

"Oh I'm sure you'll see me be stuck up once in a while, and if I ever do don't be afraid to say so. Especially if I say something that hurts your feelings." She looked at him seriously, he was sensitive and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings, not when her feelings for him were growing stronger with every conversation they had. "I'm really grateful to Faye, the girl I used to be would have missed out the opportunity of a lifetime."

Donnie's ear perked up with curiosity, "And what might that be."

"Getting to know you, which has led to me have feelings for you." She confessed.

_Like everything that's green, girl, I need you  
But it's more than one and one makes two  
Put aside the math and the logic of it  
You gotta know you're wanted too_

This was the last thing Donnie expected and he was shocked out of any response, "I understand if you don't feel the same," she continued, "For all I know you might not find humans attractive."

"Hang on a minute," He said hurriedly, "I have feelings for you too so don't leap to conclusions. I was just speechless. I never thought anyone would have feelings for me. Let alone someone as beautiful inside and out as you are." Even more to his surprise she blushed. For the first time in his life Donnie decided to be spontaneous and without thinking he kissed her. At first she was surprised but after a second of hesitation she returned the kiss, leaning in deeper. It was a perfect first kiss for both of them. When they pulled apart all they could do was stare into each others eyes but it wasn't long before his genius brain began over analyzing the situation. "Shelley you know any relationship with me is going to be complicated right? Even more so because of your family being somewhat famous."

Not looking at him she nodded, "I know, and there will be times where I'll have to leave you for weeks, especially during campaign season." She took both his hands in hers, "Don I know you're a genius and you can't help yourself but just this once can you not over think this? If you're worried about the Foot clan coming after me then don't. Dad has made sure that our house is a fortress, and I've usually got at least one body guard nearby. It's going to be hard, never being able to talk about you and keeping my parents from getting suspicious but I think it's worth it. Don't you?"

Their eyes met again, "Absolutely." Don said, "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me too, and I'm not going to let it slip away." The dazzling smile she gave him made his heart melt and as he pulled her into a hug he knew that no matter the challenges she would be more than worth the hardship.

_'Cause I wanna wrap you up  
Wanna kiss your lips  
I wanna make you feel wanted  
And I wanna call you mine  
Wanna hold your hand forever  
And never let you forget it  
Yeah, I, I wanna make you feel wanted_

Shelley wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. Never in her life had she felt so safe or cared for. "My Donatello." She whispered in his ear.

He smiled and held her tighter, "My Shelley." They stayed liked that for several seconds, neither of them wanting to let go. Eventually they pulled away and settled for cuddling at the top of the jungle gym. Just then Don remembered something that he had been wanting to ask her all night, "So how come you guys don't play any love songs?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "That was Faye and Luka's idea. There are enough love songs out there we don't need to make more. There are more important things to sing about. Besides can you imagine writing a love song for a relationship that didn't work out but you still have to play it on stage. That would be a pretty painful reminder so we decided to focus on other messages. Living life to the fullest, everyone is beautiful and special. Really what we all want is for our music to make people feel good about themselves. Music is a powerful medium, and the four of us respect that and never forget that we are there for the audience. Without them we would be nothing."

"Well your music is phenomenal, and you looked so alive up there on stage." Donnie said as he absentmindedly traced his fingers along her spine.

"Yeah, I really love playing music but I can't do it forever." He looked over and saw there was a sad look on her face.

"Why not?" He asked as he pulled her in closer.

Her hair tickled his chin as she shook her head, "My family. All my life I've been groomed to follow Dad's footsteps and go into politics. The band is just supposed to be a hobby, not a career. The others know this, that eventually they'll have to replace me."

This time he shook his head, "Not possible. No one could possibly replace you." With one green finger he tilted her head up so he could look into her beautiful blue eyes, the way she smiled up at him took his breath away. "And no matter what path you choose, politician or musician I'm sure you'll be fantastic at it."

_Anyone can tell you you're pretty, yeah  
And you get that all the time, I know you do  
But your beauty's deeper than the make-up  
And I wanna show you what I see tonight..._

A worried look spread across Donnie's face as a disturbing thought occurred to him. The sudden change in his mood unsettled Shelley, "What's wrong?"

If it was possible to hold her any closer he would have done it, "I just remembered that you're going to be at formal functions dancing with a lot of cute rich guys that flatter you constantly and I don't how I can compete with that. There's nothing I can offer you, no money, no future. Technically I don't even exist."

"Don..." She said softly as she moved away from him so that she could look at him straight on, "There is no competition. You forget I've been dancing with those kinds of guys my whole life and you're worth ten of them. I don't care about material things, none of that stuff matters compared to you. You are the first guy I've met who likes me for who I am, not because of who my family is and that is priceless. You're my Donatello and I'm your Shelley."

Don felt a weight lift of his shoulders, "I'm sorry Shelley I guess I'm just insecure. Our whole lives my brothers and I thought no one would love us and now that I have you I feel like I have to work extra hard to keep you."

This time it was Shelley who pulled him into an embrace, "It's a miracle, I've found a guy who talks about his feelings! All joking aside I'm glad you told me. It never occurred to me that you might be insecure. You don't have to try to keep me Don, just like you didn't have to try to get me to fall for you. All you have to do is keep being the amazing and wonderful turtle that you are."

She could tell he still had his doubts so she climbed off the jungle gym and found an iced over puddle. Ever the curious one Donnie followed, "Look at that Don." She said, pointing to his reflection in glassy ice, "What do you see?"

"I see me," he replied slightly puzzled. This was starting to feel like one of Master Splinter's lessons.

"Know what I see?" She asked, "I see a fantastic person who is brilliant, sensitive and genuine. Someone who despite being rejected his whole life still has the courage to open his heart up. What I see when I look at you is nothing short of amazing. More special than anyone else could ever dream of being."

_When I wrap you up  
When I kiss your lips.  
I I wanna make you feel wanted  
And I wanna call you mine  
Wanna hold your hand forever  
And never let you forget it  
'Cause, baby, I, I wanna make you feel wanted_

He could only stare at her thunderstruck. Did she really mean all of that? Then he banished that doubtful thought, of course she meant it. It was written all across her face, the way she smiled at him and never let go of his hand. "Shelley, I don't know what to say to that."

"You don't need to say anything." She said as she tried to translate all the words she had just told him into a gentle loving kiss. Wrapping his arms around her waist he kissed her back without hesitation. As their kiss got deeper he lifted her off the ground with ease and spun her around. When her feet touched the ground again she dizzy from both the kiss and the spinning.

They sat back down on the swings, moving gently back and forth neither quite sure what to say next. Instead they simply stared at the city around them enjoying each others company. "You're pretty amazing yourself," Don said after sometime.

"Oh and how is that?" She asked bringing her swing to a stop.

Without taking his eyes off her he kept on swinging, "Only a handful of people have been able to look past my abnormal appearance and accept that I might not be a total monster. It takes a special kind of person to be able to do that. Even April fainted when seeing us for the first time and thought she was dreaming after she woke up. But not only did you accept me you're willing to be with me even though you know it's going to be challenging and at times even dangerous. That is pretty amazing." It wasn't his most eloquent speech but when he looked at her he saw that her eyes were misty.

"Donnie that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." She responded earnestly. Pushing her swig towards his she caught his hand, "You keep talking about how being with you is going to put me in danger but when I'm with you I feel completely safe. I know you're never let anyone hurt me."

"No." He said seriously, "I'd die before letting anyone lay a hand on you, and if they did..." He trailed off but the hard look in his usually soft hazel eyes made it obvious what he would do.

His protectiveness surprised her, no one had ever been so protective of her, not even her body guards. Then again, she mused, her body guards didn't have an emotional investment in her well being, only a financial one. "You're really afraid of that aren't you?"

He nodded, "I've got a lot of fears when it comes to you. Fear that you don't really like me, fear that the challenges will be too much for us to face, fear that us being together will get you hurt." Their eyes met and she could tell he was deathly serious, "If you got hurt because of me...Shelley, I just don't know what I'd do."

Sensing her companion's distress she pushed herself off the swing and knelt in front of him, cupping his face in her hand. "Let's squash two of the three right here and now. I really do like you Don, no need to be afraid about that and if we keep letting our feelings for each other grow then it won't be long before it's too strong for anything to break." She pulled him off the swing and walked hand in hand with him over to a small sapling standing stubbornly in the snow. "Right now we're fragile, like this tree, but with some TLC it will grow to be strong and beautiful. I know if we keep nurturing what we have then someday soon it will be so strong that nothing can break it."

_As good as you make me feel  
I wanna make you feel better  
Better than your fairy tales  
Better than your best dreams  
You're more than everything I need  
You're all I ever wanted  
All I ever wanted_

A lone tear of happiness slid down Donnie's cheek and Shelley wiped it away with a smile, "Wow, not only do you talk about your fears and feelings you're not afraid to cry too. You are every woman's dream."

He laughed and pulled her into a tight embrace, "Too bad for all those other woman my heart is yours."

"Then I better keep it safe." She whispered in his ear. "You have my heart as well Don, there's no one else better suited to entrust it to." Shelley looked over at her house and saw that Faye was heading home. "Looks like Mikey and Faye's date is over, I know I should go home too but I don't really want to."

He pulled away and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "I know, I don't want to leave you either but I'll see you again soon." They gave each other one last farewell kiss before reluctantly she walked away, looking back every so often. Don watched her until she was safely inside and blew her a kiss before heading towards the rooftop to join his brother. For the first time in his life Donnie felt completely whole and he wondered if she was feeling the same way right now. What he did know for sure was that until he could see her again she would be in his thoughts day and night.

_And I just wanna wrap you up  
Wanna kiss your lips  
I wanna make you feel wanted  
And I wanna call you mine  
Wanna hold your hand forever  
And never let you forget it  
Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted  
Baby, I wanna make you feel wanted  
You'll always be wanted_

__**Okay one turtle left. What is Raph's deepest fear? and what is the story behind Luka's ex-fiance? Find out tonight!**


	10. Chapter 10: If You Told Me To

**I literally went through five different songs trying to find the right one for this chapter before finally settling on "If You Told Me To" by Hunter Hayes, and I apologize for the country music theme but I am a country girl. The songs will get darker as the story as the story goes on. Anyone here is chapter ten. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**_  
_

_Well I've been searching for something true  
My heart says it must be you  
I'd love to fall and see it through  
But only if you told me to  
Well I'd run through the desert, I'd walk through the rain  
Get you into trouble, and take all the blame  
I'd paint you a picture, write you a song  
And I'd do it all over if I did it all wrong_

Luka and Raph stood side by side in the alley unsure of what to say or do. Eventually the tension became too much for Raph to take, "So where do you want to go?" He asked, afraid she would say home.

Her auburn hair fell into her face as she tilted her head in thought but she ignored it, "I know a place." She said and began walking towards his waiting motorcycle.

Slightly surprised he followed her and passed her the spare helmet, "All right, now wait until I've-"

Before he could finish she cut him off, "Spare me. I've been riding motorcycles longer than you've been mutated." With practiced ease she slid on behind him and they rode off into the night. The feel of her arms around his waist gave Raph a rush that he had never experienced before and the feel of her breath as she whispered directions in his ear gave him goosebumps. Despite herself Luka was impressed with how easily Raph slipped in and out of traffic and skirted any possible icy patches. Finally she told him to stop in front of a small dilapidated park. A fine unbroken layer of snow covered the ground giving more evidence beyond the broken play equipment that this particular playground had been forgotten by the world and left to decay in silence. A frozen wind blew through the area causing the lone swing hanging on by only one chain to creak. The sound reminded him of all of those cheesy horror movies Mikey and him watched late at night but Luka seemed unfazed as she walked past the decaying wood tower and hopped up onto the stone wall at the end. Without hesitation he followed her and jumped onto the wall without looking down. He had already taken several steps before he chose to look down and instantly he wished he hadn't. Below him to his right was a sheer thirty foot drop into the harbor, unnerved but not undone he tore his eyes away from the icy water below and back to Luka but she was gone. His heart stopped and his blood turned to ice in his veins as he imagined the worst. Struggling to suppress his growing panic he ran along the wall, no longer caring about the danger one misstep posed. Calling her name he climbed around a tree branch that was in his way and found himself in a small clearing.

Relief flowed through him as he saw Luka sitting just off center and she was looking at him in confusion and concern. "What Raph? What's wrong?"

Suddenly he felt foolish for overreacting. Wasn't Master Splinter always telling him not to jump to conclusions? "Uh, it's nothing. Forget it." He said as he sat down next to her, careful to keep his distance.

She gave him a dubious look but didn't push the matter, instead she turned her gaze out towards the harbor and watching the twinkling lights coming off the ships. Meanwhile Raph instinctively took in his surroundings. The clearing they were in was no more than five feet across and sheltered by trees on three sides as well as from above creating a cave of leafless interlocking branches. The fourth side gave a breathtaking view of the harbor. "So," she said turning her attention towards him, "You were going to tell me your deepest fear. That one thing that fills you with terror more than anything else."

Although he had been expecting the question eventually, her directness startled him. Never one to be good with words he took his time thinking about how he wanted to answer in a way that she would understand. "Being alone." He said finally, judging by her reaction that answer was not she was expecting. "No matter how dangerous the situation I wasn't scared cause I knew my bros were there to back me up. Even when I nearly gotten eaten by that albino gator as a kid I knew Leo was there and that gave me courage. Family means everything to me and I can't even think about losin of someone I care about. There were a few times that I thought I had lost one of my bros, like when Leo was in that coma. Those were the scariest moments of my life. The worst part is that someday my fear will come true and one of them will die, when that happens..." His voice trailed off before it could fail him completely and Luka noticed that he was shaking. "God I must sound like such an idiot." He said more to himself than to her. This was something he had never shared with anyone before and he was sure she would laugh at him or worse.

She placed an understanding hand on his knee, "Actually that is the most rational fear in the world. I understand how scared the thought of losing your family makes you. What's more, I've been there and you are right to be afraid because no pain in the world can compare to the heartbreak of losing someone you love. But you'll never be alone Raph, not ever. You've got your brothers, Master Splinter, April and Casey; and you've got the band. When that day comes and your nightmare is realized I'll be there to help you through."

He could only stare at her in shock, his mind blown once again at her automatic acceptance and understanding though he noticed there was a sadness in her eyes that wasn't there before, "Thank you Luka, for understandin'." He said, trying to put the gratitude that he felt into that simple statement. "Now it's your turn to follow up on your end of the bet. Tell me about this fiance of yours."

_I don't wanna steal you away  
Or make you change the things that you believe  
I just wanna drink from the words you say  
And be everything you need  
Yeah I could be so good at loving you  
But only if you told me to  
I've seen a lot of good love go to waste  
And I don't wanna look back on these days  
Knowing all the things you'd never know  
If I never said a word and let you go _

Instantly she froze and it was quite sometime before she returned to normal. Gathering her courage she took a deep breath, "Losing my parents was the most painful experience of my life. In one day my world had shattered. My parents were dead and my brother blamed me...I blamed me. To say I was an emotional train wreck is an understatement. With my family taken from me I leaned on the people closest to me; Amanda and my fiance Scott. At first he was wonderful, caring and supportive but as time went on he became most distant. I just thought I was becoming too needy for him and decided to give him some breathing room. It hurt, especially on top of what I was all ready going through but I didn't think too much of it. Despite his distance he promised to be there to support me at the funeral but when that day came he was no where to found. I stood with Amanda's family, her mom let me cry on her shoulder and her dad made sure my brother Corey didn't try to start anything. It helped, knowing they were there for me but didn't change the fact that the one person I needed most wasn't there. After the funeral I went to his house to ask why he didn't show. I went over there expecting to find him half dressed and saying he forgot or mixed up the time. If only I were so lucky, instead I found him with the best man's little sister." The memory pierced her heart like a dagger and she clenched her fists, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill over. Raph longed to reach out and comfort her but he didn't dare, she had completely forgotten he was there anyway. "Pure murderous rage, that's the only way to describe what I was feeling at that moment. It took all of my self control to simply throw my ring at him and walk out. I don't even remember getting home but I think Amanda picked me up. For the next week her and her parents kept me under suicide watch. Every night I prayed that I would simply die in my sleep but I was denied even that small comfort. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. All I could think was why. Why did my parents have to die? Why couldn't I have taken there place? Why couldn't Corey see that I was hurting just as much as he was? Why did Scott betray me when I needed him most?" Her whole body shook as she tried to contain the maelstrom of emotion inside her and Raph wisely kept his distance. "It's been more than a year and I still haven't gotten over it. Being betrayed like that broke something inside me and I don't know if it will ever heal." For the first time since she started talking she looked up at him. "I'm afraid," she confessed softly. "Afraid that if I open myself up I'll only get hurt again. If the man who promised to love me and only me forever could be so cruel then how can I trust anyone else to not do the same thing?"

_I don't wanna steal you away  
Or make you change the things that you believe  
I just wanna drink from the words you say  
And be everything you need  
Yeah I could be so good at loving you  
But only if you told me to (yeah) _

Raph could stare dumbfounded, here in front him was the most selfless person he had ever met, the idea that someone could be so careless and cruel to her was unfathomable. This time he didn't hesitate, he pulled her into a comforting hug, "It's okay Luka. It's all in the past now and the past can't hurt ya."

To his surprise she didn't cry, she simply but her head on his shoulder like a sleepy child, "Thank you Raph, for everything." Gently she pushed herself off him and looked into those brilliant brown eyes of his. "Those are the most comforting words I've heard in a while."

There was still an air of sadness about her and her shoulders were slumped as though she carried the weight of the world but for the most part she seemed back to her old self. "One thing I don't get," Raph said, unsure if he was treading on thin ice. "You're parents died in a car accident how is that your fault?"

"Because they never wanted me to come to New York. They were on their way to pick me up when the accident happened. If I hadn't insisted on coming to this school, if only I had listened to them they'd still be alive!" Without warning she punched a nearby tree causing snow to fall on their heads but neither noticed.

In that moment Raph knew that underneath her responsible and motherly exterior was a deep well of anger. He grabbed her hand which was now bleeding from the knuckles and wrapped it with his head band, "Now that I can understand, you're angry. Angry at the world for takin something from you, angry at yourself for what happened and you're angry at someone you can't reach which makes you even angrier. I may not be able to understand your pain or your fear of relationships but I'm an expert at bein angry."

She watched as the bright red fabric turned dark in spots where the blood seeped through, "You might not understand but at least you accept it, which is more than anyone else has been able to do. God bless Amanda, I'd be dead without her but she just doesn't get it. She keeps trying to set me up on dates and points out endlessly when guys check me out. I'm just not ready, honestly I don't know if I'll ever be."

That last part cut Raph to the quick, he had been planning on telling her that he liked her but now he knew that was the surest way to lose her. With a sigh he took a gamble, "Just promise me that when the right guy comes around ya won't lock him out. You're heart is a tomb right now and yeah no one's gonna break it while it's like that but no one's gonna be able to heal it either. Like in your song, you can't rest until your heart finds its home. Just be sure you know where your home is."

"I can't promise anything except to try. My brain knows you're right but heart keeps insisting that you're wrong. Thank you Raph, it's been a while since I've had a guy friend to talk to. I had forgotten how nice it is. Well it's getting late, we should both be heading home." She stood up and brushed the snow off her pants. This time she waited for him before climbing onto the wall and they walked back to his motorcycle together, much more comfortable in each others company than they were at the beginning of the night.

He parked in front of her building and let her off. As she started to unwrap the head band from her knuckle he stopped her, "No hang on to it for now. You can give it back to me later." She smiled and gave him one last friendly hug before disappearing inside. Watching her go he knew this was going to be the hardest thing he'd ever done but he also knew that he would rather be friends with her than nothing at all. Maybe someday she would come around, that faint hope glowed in his chest and kept him smiling as he rode home.

_I don't wanna steal you away__  
__Or make you change the things that you believe__  
__I just wanna drink from the words you say__  
__And be everything you need__  
__Yeah I could be so good at loving you__  
__But only if you told me to__Maybe this is something I'll never be__  
__But I'll be right here till you tell me_

__**Not what you were expecting Raph do be afraid of huh? I got the idea from the episode "Tales of Leo" and before anyone flips out yes I am aware that Raph was a phobia of bugs but I wanted to do something deeper so :P**


	11. Chapter 11

**Good morning everyone! Unfortunately this might be my last update for a while. I'm not really sure how to get from here to the next major point in the story but I'll try my best to make it soon. If anyone has any ideas please let me know because right now I could use some. Also a big thank you to pikachu464 for being the first person to take the time to review. Now on with the show!**

Raph arrived at the lair to the sound of his three brothers laughing, by the sound of it they all had a successful night. Bracing himself for the onslaught of question he stepped inside, "Hey guys. What's happenin'?" He asked with a smile. The other three were spread out in the living room. Mikey was flopped across a chair with on of his legs draped over the arm casually. Don sat on the couch hunched forward out of habit from spending so much time at his work bench. Leo sat on the back of the couch, his legs dangling next to Donnie. Raph collapsed into the remaining arm chair and looked at his brother's beaming faces.

Leo looked at his brother curiously, "Umm Raph where is your mask?"

Instinctively his hand went to where his mask should have been, "Oh right, Luka cut herself so I used my head band ta wrap it. So how did your dates go?" He asked.

"Dude it was awesome!" Mikey exclaimed and eagerly told his brothers all about his date. When he had finished talking Donnie and Leo took the opportunity to also brag about how things had gone for them. As his brothers spoke Raph felt their joy. This was what all four of them had dreamed of and never thought they could have but even as he celebrated with them he couldn't help but feel more than a little envious.

"So what about you Raph?" Leo asked him, "How did things go with Luka?"

Donnie passed his brother a slice of pizza that was sitting on the coffee table, "Yeah Casanova, did you make your move?"

Raph shook his head regretfully, "Nah we just talked."

"Aww man," Mikey pouted, "That's all you guys ever do."

The other two brothers looked at him surprised, "What happened Raph?" Leo asked him, "You obviously like her, and we're all pretty confidant that she likes you."

"Let's just say that fiance of hers hurt her real bad and she ain't ready for anythin yet. She needs a friend right now more than she needs a boyfriend."

All his brothers jaws dropped, "You don't mean you got friendzoned?" Don asked in horror.

Raph nodded and Mikey began humming a death march but Leo smacked him upside the head, "Hey it was either that or scare her off. I'm just gonna have ta be patient and hope she comes around eventually."

This surprised his brothers even more, "Raph you're not exactly known for being the patient one." Donnie said doubtfully.

"Yeah well I guess I found somethin worth bein patient for." He said, his brothers just continued to stare at him in disbelief, "I might talk to Amanda later. Try and learn more about Luka."

"Okay who are you and what have you done with out brother?" Leo asked accusingly.

"All right this is weird, Raph is being patient, he's doing research..." Mikey said, "Oh my god he's turning into Donnie!" In mock panic he ran over to his brother and began shaking his shoulders, "Snap out of it dude, come back to us!"

"Get off me!" He yelled in annoyance, pushing his brother off, "I've had enough of this, I'm hittin' the sack."

The other three watched him jump rather than walk up the stairs to his room. "You know maybe Raph's idea isn't a bad one." Donnie mused.

"What's that brainiac, getting friendzoned?" Mikey asked.

"No lame brain, going to the other girls and getting the inside scoop. Christmas is in a month and it'd be nice to get Shelley something special." This apparently hadn't occurred to his brothers judging by the panicked looks on their faces. "Raph was right about one more thing too, it's getting late and we have training in the morning. Good night guys." There was a murmur of agreement from the other two and within minutes the lair was dark and quiet again.

Meanwhile Raph laid in his room. He hadn't actually been tired, he just wanted to be alone to think. _Am I doing the right thing?_ He asked himself, he certainly thought so, and if that meant dealing with Mikey's taunts well then that was something he'd just have to deal with. _If I ever find that Scott guy I'm gonna kill him for hurtin Luka like he did_. Every time he closed his eyes he saw that heartbroken look on her face, and seeing her like was not acceptable. She had looked so lost, so alone. It was almost enough to make _his_ heart break. In his heart he knew this was going to be one of the most challenging things he'd ever done. Everything about her drove him crazy, from the touch of her skin to the sound of her laughter he was addicted. Controlling himself around her and not letting anything slip was going to take all of his discipline but he hoped that in the end it would be worth it. If he could convince her that he would never do anything to hurt her and that sometimes the risk was worth it then maybe he had a shot. _Tomorrow night I'll go pay Amanda a visit. She just wants to see Luka happy too, maybe she'll help me_. Content with that thought he fell asleep and dreamed about what it would be like to be more than just friends.

Rather than heading straight to her apartment Luka knocked on her neighbor's door. She had found it amusing to find out that the rage filled maniac that lived across the hall was Raphael's best friend. At first there was no reaction and she was about to forget about it when he opened the door. He looked at her in surprise, she had never visited him before, in fact until she met Raph she hadn't really talked to him at all. "Luka what are ya doin' here?" He asked holding the door open so she could come in.

She stepped passed him and looked around not surprised by what she saw. It seemed everything was a shade of grey or brown, there was no color anywhere. Beer bottles were piled high in a recycling bin and the sink was full of unwashed dishes. In the center of the living room was a torn, beat up couch and in the corner was a well worn punching bag. As she stepped inside she knocked a weight out of the way. "Sorry to disturb you so late I just wanted to talk about Raph."

That was the last thing he had been expecting her to say, though once he thought about there was really no other reason for her to come over. "Sure thing, what do you want to know about him?"

Wringing her hands she sat down on his couch and began to tell him what had happened that day without telling him about her past. "I'm so confused Casey," she finished.

He sat next to her listening intently, finally he patted her shoulder awkwardly. Girl problems were definitely not his specialty but he knew how Raph felt about this chick and he'd do anything to help his buddy. "Look I ain't the best at giving advice but I do know Raph. More than any of others he's afraid of getting hurt. Sure he's a bad ass tough guy but sometimes it's just an act so people don't see what he's really feeling. He's also the most loyal guy I've ever met. Now I've got a question for you. How do you feel about him?"

The question caught her off guard, "I...I'm not sure. I think I like him but it's been so long since I've been interested in anyone and God knows I'm nothing special." She buried her face in her hands, "Well it's not like he likes me anyway so stressing about it is pointless. Thanks for the talk Casey, it really helped," and like that she was gone before he could say another word.

The next night Raph sat in the kitchen Amanda's apartment unconsciously making comparisons between her place and Luka's. The wall facing the alley was made of brick rather than plaster. The walls that were plaster were painted a pale blue and there plants hanging from the ceiling. The table he sat at was barely big enough for two people to sit comfortably. "So Raph tell me what happened last night. Luka didn't say much." With a resigned sigh he filled her in on what happened, to his surprise when he finished she didn't laugh at him like his brothers did. "That was actually the smartest move you could've made. Luka never dates anyone without being friends with them first and I know she likes you as more than a friend, even if she doesn't know it yet. Well she probably does she just doesn't want to admit it." She looked at him seriously, "Raph, Scott wasn't the first guy to cheat on her. Most of her boyfriends did so she has insane trust issues. I'm sure you've also noticed that she has zero self esteem. You're going to have to tread carefully if you're going to do this. Also there's another reason Luka doesn't date and it's actually a logical one. Between the band and her two jobs she works almost sixty hours a week. She barely has time for herself let alone a boyfriend, so if she doesn't spend a whole lot of time with you don't get mad it's likely not personal." She sighed and looked at the turtle with sympathy, "This isn't going to be easy Raph, you're really going to have to work if you want her." Then her expression lightened a little, "Thankfully she's obvious to anyone flirting with her so you shouldn't have to worry about her catching on." With her speech over she started telling him about her sister's likes and dislikes, giving him all the tools he needed to break through the wall Luka had built around herself. "I'm trusting you with this," she said seriously, "I've seen Luka get hurt too many times by too many people. I'm warning you right now Raphael, if you hurt her there will be nothing left for your brothers to find."

That steely look in her normally vibrant emerald eyes told Raph that she wasn't exaggerating. "I promise," he said, matching her somber tone, "I ain't ever gonna hurt her, or let anyone else hurt her either."

For several long seconds she studied him before giving him a winning smile, "Excellent. Now that we have that settled tell me everything about Leo." He chuckled at her enthusiasm and began returning the favor she had just done for him.

At that same time Mia entered the Master's office, and walked confidently down the middle of the long room before coming to a stop in front of her Master. Respectfully she knelt and bowed her head. "What news do you have?" Oroku Saki asked her.

"Master, the girls you've asked me to watch are becoming closer to your enemies but I don't think it is time to strike yet." She answered coming out of her bow to look at him.

"An astute observation Mia. Everything must be perfect for our plan to succeed, no one will do anything until you believe the time is right." He said, giving a rare show of praise that he typically saved for Karai.

"Thank you Master. I am honored that you trust me with this mission." She replied, her face almost glowing with pride that he trusted her so.

"Do not get cocky Mia." Saki warned, "If you fail this mission the punishment will be very severe." Without another word he turned his back to her and went back to studying the papers that were on his desk. Obviously dismissed Mia exited the office maintaining proper respect the whole time just in case he was still watching her._ Soon_ she thought, _soon it will be time to strike and then I can quit this charade and go back to more active missions_. She looked forward to the day when she could deliver those freaks to the Shredder and get rid of that annoying bitch Luka.

***Queue dramatic music* So Luka's coworker works for the Shredder and surprise surprise is plotting against our heroes. What's the plan? I know but I'm not telling. I'll try to post the next chapter soon. And I apologize if this one kind of sucks I'm not really stoked about it either. Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yay another chapter. Thanks so much to pikachu464 and joompan98 for reviewing. You guys rock! I've decided to make this take place before Christmas, I changed it to Valentine's day for a little while because it was coming up but that passed by and I already have the Christmas one written. I know it's the wrong season but it's not really oozing with the Christmas spirit so it should be okay. Since I've been spending so much time on Raph and Luka I decided to give the others the spotlight for a little bit. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

Only a couple of weeks before Christmas Faye sat uncomfortably in Donnie's lab, noting that he spent more time in there than his room. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked.

"I need your help with Shelley," He confessed, "I have no idea what to get her for Christmas. Obviously I can't buy her anything so what can I make her that she'll like?" Donnie asked her, wringing his hands helplessly.

Faye tilted her head thoughtfully, he found it amusing that she and her sister had the exact same "thinking" face. "Well, and this may come as a bit of a surprise but Shelley is a bit of a gamer. Minecraft especially, so maybe something with that. Or you could build her some kind of gadget..." She trailed off as she ran out of ideas but Donnie was no longer listening, instead he was writing furiously in a notebook. Faye watched him with an amused smile for a few seconds before clearing her throat, "Hello, still here."

He smiled sheepishly and put the notebook down. "Sorry but you gave me an idea and I had to write it down before I forgot."

"That's okay," Faye said, "But now I need you to tell me what to get Mikey. Obviously comic books and video games are always a huge hit with him but is there any particular one that he's been dying to get?"

Absently Don twirled the pan he'd been using, "Well he has been dying to get his hands on a copy of Silver Sentry volume 47. Apparently it was a limited edition. He's had April and Casey look in every comic book store in the city with no luck. If you could track down a copy I'm sure he'd be overjoyed."

"Well if it's Silver Sentry Mikey wants then it's Silver Sentry Mikey gets. I will get him that comic even if I have to go to the cartoonists themselves." She exclaimed, jumping off the chair and running out of the lab. "Thanks Don!" She called absently over her shoulder, leaving Donnie alone in the lab to get to throw himself into his latest project with gusto.

Faye raced up to the surface where she had cell service and quickly looked up every comic book store in the borough. Now that she had a specific goal in mind she sprinted toward it, determined to get Mikey that comic no matter what it took. She would do anything to make her man happy. Besides, how hard would it be to find one comic book in New York?

Five hours and countless comic book stores later she was regretting ever asking herself that question. Every store she had gone to had told her the same thing, "Silver Sentry 47 was out of print. Never going to be making them again." Still, she wasn't going to give up. This a huge city and the place where every comic book character she had ever heard of came from. Somebody somewhere had to have a copy. Exhausted from running all over lower Manhattan she sat down on a granite bench to try to figure out where she should look next. As she thought she fiddled with her phone, then as she looked at the black screen it came to her. Faye smacked herself on the forehead, of course the answer was so simple. If she couldn't find the comic in a brick and mortar store than surely an online store would have a copy. She had just opened up what looked to be a promising link when she felt her purse get ripped from her arm. The reflexes she learned on the street kicked in and without a second thought she chased after the thief, "Get back here with my purse you jackass!" The thief looked over his shoulder and sped up when he saw her gaining on him but a sudden throng of people hampered his getaway. That delay was all Faye needed to catch up to the purse snatcher and tackle him. He went down with a surprised yell and she ripped the bag out of his hands.

"Please don't hurt me. I promise to never steal anything ever again." The thief promised pathetically as he cowered under her murderous stare.

Faye stood up, never taking her eyes off him as she pinned his wrist down with her high heel, "No you won't because I'm calling the police. Oh, and don't try to run away again because I'll just catch you again and next time I won't be so gentle."

"Is everything okay here miss?" An authoritative voice asked. Faye turned around and saw a tall, muscular African American man had come up behind her. He was well dressed in an expensive grey suit with a navy blue tie. His professional appearance was compounded by the fact that he exuded and aura of gentle power and confidence.

"Everything is fine." Faye assured the stranger, "This man tried to steal my purse but fortunately I caught him. I was just calling the cops so they could arrest him. No doubt he'd robbed others as well." She could feel the man looking over her shoulder as she closed the web browser and dialed 911. After explaining the situation to the operator she suppressed a sigh of frustration when they told her it would be a while before an officer was available. She did not have time to be babysitting a punk thief, besides her feet hurt from running in stilettos.

Before she knew what was happening the stranger pulled the thief up by his collar and pinned him against the wall. "So you're a fan of the Silver Sentry are you?" He inquired to Faye.

She was taken so off guard by the fact that a man she didn't know was making small talk with her while containing a fugitive that it took her a bit to answer, "What? Oh no, my boyfriend is. I'm looked for a certain comic book for him as a Christmas present but it's out of print."

This seemed to catch the man's attention, "Really? Well I happen to collect Silver Sentry memorabilia, maybe I have the one he's looking for."

"I sure hope so," She said running her fingers through her hair, "If I can't find volume 47 Michelangelo is going to be heartbroken. He's been looking for it for years."

The man raised his free hand to his chin in thought, "Yes, volume 47. That's the one where he teams up with the Turtle Titan. One of my personal favorites."

"Turtle Titan?" Faye asked, suddenly very interested, "That explains why Mikey wants it so bad. He's obsessed with Turtle Titan. He claims to have met him which is ridiculous, everyone knows Turtle Titan doesn't exist."

It didn't take long for him to put the pieces together. A Silver Sentry fan named Michelangelo who claimed to have met the elusive Turtle Titan, he could only think of one person who fit that description. The man smiled at Faye, "I actually have an extra copy of that volume. I'd be more than willing to give it to you."

Faye stared at him dumbfounded, "You'd seriously just give me a copy of a limited edition comic. But why?"

He gave her a conspiratorial smile, "I have a feeling I've met your boyfriend before and if I'm right then I can't think of anyone more deserving of that comic than Michelangelo." It was then that the police finally showed up. It took almost an hour for them to take everyone's statements and by the time they were done the stranger had disappeared before Faye could even get his name.

The police dropped her off at her house and she shuffled in wanting nothing more than a hot shower and a nap but Shelley met her at the door, "Why did the police give you a ride home?" She asked, worried that her sister had been in trouble again.

Faye knew that her sister wouldn't let the subject rest until she had been given a satisfactory answer so she decided to try a compromise, "I'll tell you all about it once I get cleaned up. It's been an interesting morning."

After a quick shower and a change of clothes Faye joined Shelley in their living room and curled up in her favorite chair by the window. She told her sister about the whole morning, starting from when she left the lair up until the cops dropped her off.

"So you just chased after and tackled this guy while wearing high heels? You're crazy. You could have gotten seriously hurt." Shelley scolded but couldn't keep the concern out of her voice.

Faye waved her hand dismissively, "That was nothing, any girl worth her salt can chase after a mugger while wearing heels. What I want to know is what kind of guy in a business suit can make small talk while casually pinning a guy against a wall? And he said he might know Mikey. That disturbs me..."

Shelley walked over to her sister and put a comforting arm around her shoulders, "That's ridiculous, the guys are always careful not to be seen. He probably just got him confused with someone else. All that matters is that you're safe and if this guy keeps his word then you don't have to worry about tracking down that comic. All in all I'd consider this day a success."

"Thanks Shell, leave it you to find the bright side in this crazy day." Faye said as she stretched and yawned, "Well I'm gonna take a nap. Catch ya later."

The blonde watched her leave with combination of admiration and worry. She knew that Faye was more than capable of taking care of herself and couldn't help but be awed but her fearlessness but if she wasn't careful one of these days she was going to get hurt. _Maybe I should have a talk with Mikey, see if he can knock some sense into her thick skull_ she thought, he had wanted to talk to her anyway. Quickly she scribbled a note for Faye in case she wasn't back by the time her sister woke up and headed out to lair.

When she arrived a short time later the guys were in the middle of a training session so she quietly stood off to the side and watched. She had never seen the guys in action before and she made no attempt to hide that fact that she was impressed. They knew she had been there from the moment she stepped inside, despite having their backs to her, and they knew she was watching. Splinter smiled as he watched his sons, Donatello especially, train harder than he had ever seen in order to impress their unexpected audience. He decided to cut their training a little short as it would be rude to make their guest wait. With a tap of his cane he end their training and after a respectful bow to their master the four students went their own way. Donnie walked over to his waiting girlfriend and kissed her lightly, "Well this is a pleasant surprise," He said.

She pulled him into a hug, heedless of the sweat coming off his body, "Sorry love but I'm actually here to talk to Mikey." Seeing how disappointed he was she kissed him on the cheek, "Don't worry I'll spend some time with you before I leave."

Before she could head off in the direction where she last saw Mikey he popped up behind her, "Someone say my name?"

"Jesus Christ Mike! Give a girl a warning next time!" She scolded as she tried to get her heart rate back down.

He just gave her an impish smile, "Sorry Dudette, I'm a ninja, we don't give out warnings."

She rolled her eyes in annoyance but grabbed his arm and pulled him into the kitchen, "Come on shell for brains I need to talk to you about your girlfriend." Before the two disappeared from sight she blew Don a kiss, he caught it and held it against his heart. The sight made her own heart flutter.

Mikey pulled out a chair for her before sitting down, "So about Faye..." He started, breaking her from her daze.

"Hmm? Oh sorry,your brother is very distracting." She said as she took the chair he had pulled out. "Anyway you should probably talk to Faye about not being so reckless." Without preamble she told him about the incident with the mugger excluding the bit about the comic book, "She'll listen to you. Please Mike. I don't want to see her get hurt. I know she's tough and basically grew up on the streets but one of these days she's going to get in over her head."

All Mikey could do was stare at her, the whole time she had been talking his mind had played out the worst case scenario. He pictured her dead on the sidewalk, pale, cold and bleeding. The image made his whole body tremble with fear and he felt his throat constrict. It was a long time before he could talk again, "I'll talk to her," he promised. "You're right, she needs to be more careful. If anything happened to her..."

Shelley reached out and touched his hand, "I know. All of you are protective by nature and her chasing after muggers doesn't help put your mind at ease." Then sometime occurred to her, "Do you love her?"

The question caught him completely off guard, "What?"

"Do you love Faye?"

His eyes widened to the size of tennis balls and he ran his hand over his bald head, "I don't know. I've never been in love before so I don't really know what it feels like. I mean I think I do. She's all I can ever think about and whenever she's around I'm just so happy and when she's gone it feels like a piece of me left with her. Does that qualify as love?"

Shelley smiled, "When it's love you'll know, although it sounds like you're well on your way to being in love with her. Just remember Mikey, she's your first girlfriend, no need to rush it. So what are you getting her for Christmas?"

The thoughtful expression on his face instantly turned to panic, "I have no idea. What do you get a girl like her?"

"Hmm, well let's start with what you're good at. Besides gaming and skateboarding what talents do you have? I assume your brothers are making gifts so you should too."

Mikey tapped his fingers on the table making a rhythm of nervousness that filled the kitchen, "I like to paint. My brothers don't know but sometimes I go to April's basement and paint. She set up a studio for me."

"That's brilliant!" Shelley exclaimed, "Don't worry I won't tell your brothers but that is perfect. Believe it or not Faye loves art so if you painted her something it would be _the_ perfect gift."

His eyes widened in surprise, "Really? You think Faye would like something like that? She doesn't seem the artsy type."

"Well when you think about it it makes sense," She said, "There wasn't much beauty where she grew up so she has a soft spot for anything beautiful like that. The first time I took her to an art gallery she actually cried."

That erased any lingering uncertainty. Now filled with drive he stood up so suddenly that he knocked his chair over. "That's for the tip Shell, I'll get started right now," She had to suppressed a laugh as he bolted out of the room so fast that all she saw was a green and orange blur. Only then did it occur to her that she never asked him what she should do for Donnie. She decided not to worry about it. Don was pretty laid back, no matter what she got for him she was sure he'd like it. Content with that thought she headed to his lab to make up for brushing him off earlier.

**I thought that went well. Unfortunately I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, I want to write one more before posting the Christmas one but don't worry I won't make you guys wait to long. Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi everyone I'm back! Sorry it took so long to update, major case of writers block. Hopefully the next couple of chapters will be up shortly. I meant for this little bit to be just one chapter but I realized how long it was and decided to split it up. Good news though! I'm working on a new story in the works that I think you guys will love. I've never done two projects at once before so I don't know how it will work but we'll see. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

Later that night Faye was engrossed in new horror story when she heard her phone ring. "Hello?" She answered.

She heard Leo on the other end, "Faye you need to get down to the lair, Mikey's hurt." _Mikey's hurt_. Those two words filled her mind, blocking out any possible response. Without a word she hung up and ran out the door as fast as her legs could carry her and began sprinting all the way to the lair. As she run Leo's words echoed through her head and pierced her heart. Obviously it was serious if Leo had called her about it. Even as her legs and lungs burned she was oblivious to everything but the fear that had gripped her and kept pushing her forward, past her normal physical limits. She took every short cut and back alley she knew to get there faster, heedless of the potential dangers that lurked here. Past rapists, gang members, and murderers she ran without so much as a glance. Her feet went numb from the snow and icy puddles so she didn't notice when she stepped on a broken bottle and sliced her foot open. When she finally arrived at the lair she was winded and on the verge of collapse but still she didn't care. All she could see was Mikey laying on a gurney in the lab unconscious. She pushed past his brothers and took his limp hand. "What happened?" She demanded, not taking her eyes off his face.

"We were out on patrol." Leo began, "Some foot ninja came up behind us. One of them hit him on the head, he was out right away." Finally he took note of the fact that she was breathing heavily and her body was shaking with exhaustion, "Did you run all the way here?" All she could do was nod.

"But that's more than eight blocks!" Donnie exclaimed.

Finally she took her eyes off Mikey long enough to give his brother a piercing gaze, "If you got a call in the middle of the night saying Shelley was hurt you'd do that same thing so don't go accusing me of being reckless. You should have kept a better eye on your brother!" She knew it was unfair to blame him for what happened but she didn't care. All she cared about was Mikey waking up. "What can we do?"

"Nothing," he said, "All we can do is wait for him to wake up, and there's no telling how long that will take."

"I'm not leaving him," She said, answering his unasked question.

Behind her the three brothers looked at each other helplessly then Leo got her a chair and guided her into it, "If you're going to stay with him you might as well be comfortable." Without another word they left her alone in the lab.

As she sat there holding Mikey's hand the adrenaline that had sustained her was leaving her system. Suddenly she could feel every cut and bruise that she had accumulated. Now she could feel her legs screaming in agony and even the mind numbing exhaustion that was enveloping her did nothing to dull the pain. More than anything she wanted to lay her head down and give into the desperate need to sleep, if only to escape the torment she had inflicted on herself, but one look at Mikey and she knew she had to hang on. Seeing him there made her heart ache in a way she had never experienced before. Not knowing what else to do for the first time in her life she bowed her head and prayed until her body finally gave out and she fell asleep.

Out in the living room the three brothers sat in silence, none of them sure what to say. Leo broke the silence first when something on the floor caught his eye, "Uh, guys. Is that blood?" Don and Raph followed his gaze to the reddish brown trail that led from the elevator to the lab. They all look at each other in horrified realization and raced to the lab, inside they found Faye right where they left her except now she laid across Mikey's chest, her shallow breath making her hair flutter slightly.

Donne reached her first, "She's fine," he assured his brothers, "The adrenaline just wore off." Gingerly he picked up one of her feet and saw that it had the whole top layer of skin had been scraped away and a large piece of glass was embedded in her heel.

"How did we not notice this?" Raph asked his brothers, not bothering to keep the anger out his voice.

Leo just shook his head, "Because we were so focused on Mikey that we didn't pay enough attention to her. I'm such an idiot, this is my fault. All of it, I should have looked after Mikey better and gone to pick up Faye and bring her here."

"It's not your fault Leo." Donnie said, putting a comforting had on Leo's shoulder ."It's been a while since we've tangled with the Foot, they got the jump on us. Mikey and Faye will both be fine, just help me get her onto the other cot." Desperate to do something useful Leo obliged but a few seconds later he found himself with nothing to do again but brood. All he and Raph could do was watch as Don painstakingly cleaned and bandaged her feet.

"Ya know somethin' Don, if Faye didn't even bother ta put shoes on before running eight blocks then I bet ya she didn't bother ta tell Shelley either," Raph said.

The thought hit Donnie like a freight train, "God she must be worried sick." As soon as Faye's injuries were properly taken care of he rushed out of the room.

As soon as he was gone Raph took Faye's chair next to Mikey. Leo took another chair and sat on their brother's other side. He couldn't bring himself to look at Mikey's face so instead he concentrated on Raph. "So any progress with Luka?"

Raph looked up and for a second it looked as though he was going to make a sarcastic remark but instead he looked down in defeat, "Not really. It's impossible to tell when she's just bein' friendly or when she's flirtin'. I'm playin' it safe and assuming she's just bein' friendly." He heard Leo snort in amusement, "Shut up Fearless. She's worth it."

"Who's worth it?" The two of them looked down to see Mikey holding his head, "Ow. Did Raph run me over on his bike again?"

Leo stood up hastily, "I'll go get Donnie."

Mikey watched his eldest brother leave in confusion, "Okay Raph what is going on? Why is Leo acting all weird?" Reluctantly Raph filled him in on what had happened, leaving out the part about Faye running to the lair barefoot but in the end it didn't matter because he saw her as soon as he sat up. Before Raph could stop him he had scrambled off the bed and was at Faye's side. "What the Hell happened Raph? Faye wasn't with us when we got jumped!"

At that moment Don and Leo walked back in, "I called Shelley, she's on her way right now with Amanda and Luka" Then he saw Mikey hunched over Faye. "Oh..."

Mikey turned on him in anger, ignoring the ungodly pounding in his head, "Oh!? I wake up after getting knocked out by the Foot and find my girlfriend unconscious and all you can say is oh! What the fuck happened?"

No one could bear to look him in the eye as Leo confessed his part in what had happened. Donnie walked over to his distraught brother and put a hand on his shoulder, "She's fine Mikey." He promised, "The adrenaline wore off is all. Running eight blocks would take it's toll on anyone. Trust me if I was in your shoes I'd be freaking out too but when she wakes up she'll be her usual charming self."

Mike stood there trying to wrap his mind around what his brothers had just told him. This was just the kind of thing that Shelley had warned him about. She could have easily gotten into serious trouble on her way to see him and he wouldn't have been able to stop it. He shivered involuntarily, it was all to easy to imagine her laying there dead rather than just asleep. As he grabbed the chair and sat down beside her to start his vigil there was no doubt he would have a lot of thinking to do. His brothers took this as their cue to leave and silently backed out of the room.

The girls were outside waiting for them. Together Leo and Don explained what had happened. The moment they were done talking Shelley pushed passed them into the lab leaving Amanda and Luke behind. Mikey was so engrossed in watching her breathing, that one simple reflex that reassured him that she was still alive, that he didn't even hear Shelley enter. At first all she could do was stare at her sister laying there. Her normally pale skin was stark white except for her flushed cheeks, it contrasted oddly with her jet black hair. The hem of her pajama bottoms were wet from the snow and there were small splatters of blood. Her feet were the worst though, it had only been a few minutes since Donnie had tended to them but already they had started bleeding through the gauze. Shelley felt her whole body shake in anger. How could her sister be so reckless? Didn't she ever think before she acted? But she knew that was unfair, if it was Donnie there was no doubt in her mind that she would have done the same thing, damn the consequences. Forcing herself to calm down she walked over to Mikey and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, "You okay?" It was a stupid question but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

He tried to shake his head but even that slight movement caused an explosion of pain that made his vision go black. "I'm scared," he confessed, "What if she doesn't wake up? What if she gets an infection? What if-"

"She'll be fine." Shelley said firmly, cutting off his panicked train of thought, "She's made out of tougher stuff than you think. It's going to take more than a late night run to take her out. Besides, just think of how happy she'll be to see you safe." She placed a chair on Faye's other side and sat down opposite Mikey. Neither of them could think of anything to say so they just sat in silence, their worry filling the empty space around them.

In the main living area Luka paced like a caged tiger, occasionally shooting nervous glances towards the lab. Amanda was sitting next to Leo tapping her foot impatiently while he wrapped an arm around her trying to keep her calm. Donnie sat within ear shot of the lab in case they needed him and Raph hung back watching everyone carefully. As the hours passed with no sign of activity from the lab everyone settled down. Amanda stopped tapping and curled up next to Leo. Luka stopped pacing and sat cross legged on the floor eyes fixated on the door of the lab. Only Donnie and Raph hadn't moved. Gradually they lost all sense of time and despite the early hour of the morning no one showed any sign of fatigue. It was only when Master Splinter came out of his room at his usual time did they realize how long it had been.

All it took was one glance at his sons and their guests for him to know something wasn't right, "What has happened my sons?"

Once again Leo found himself having to explain how his poor judgment and leadership skills led to his brother and an innocent getting hurt. Master Splinter listened patiently without interruption until his son was finished speaking. "You are too hard on yourself Leonardo. Your brother is a capable ninja and you need not feel responsible for his injury. And as for Ms. Turner you have no control over her impetuous nature. Do not blame yourself my son, instead think of this as a learning experience and gain what wisdom you can."

Leo bowed his head respectfully, taking his master's words, "Thank you Sensei."

The old rat rewarded him with a smile, "You are welcome. Now I am going to get my tea and begin my meditation, any of you are welcome to join me if you wish." He focused his eyes not just on his sons but on the girls as well.

No sooner was he out of the room than Luka dusted her pants off and strode towards the lab. "Where are you going?" Amanda asked.

Luka stopped and turned around, "To check on Faye. We've been waiting out here all night without a word of news so I'm going to make sure that she's okay."

She began walking again but Raph had finally moved from his watchful position and grabbed her arm, "If she wasn't okay they would have let us know. You won't do any good in there." Everyone looked at him in surprise. Raph was being sensible? It was almost unheard of.

"I'm not doing any good out here either!" She spat back as she wretched her arm from her grip. When she saw the hurt look in his soft brown eyes she felt a stab of guilt. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried and stressed. Look I'll just poke my head in and see if they need anything and I'll come right back out. I promise."

Dumbly he nodded and before he could stop himself he pulled her into a reassuring hug, "It's gonna to be okay." He whispered the promise quietly in her ear, "Faye's almost as tough as you,"

Without hesitation she hugged him back, "Tougher actually. I really am sorry Raph. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you."

Acutely aware of the others watching them he pulled away with more than a little regret, letting go of her was like letting go of a piece of himself. "Hey no worries," he said quietly so the others wouldn't hear. She took his hand and squeezed it gently before turning back to the lab. When she got to the door Donnie fell in seamlessly behind her

Their unexpected entrance shook Shelley and Mikey from their reverie, "Any change?" Donnie asked.

They both nodded, "She's been mumbling and her eyes have been moving back and forth under her eyelids. It's kind of creepy to watch actually." Shelley said.

He walked over and hugged her from behind, placing his arms over her shoulders, "That's good, she's in REM mode and getting the deep rest she needs to recover. It shouldn't be long now." He let go of Shelley and walked around to Faye's feet. Gingerly he took off the bandages, they looked much better than they had a few hours ago. There was no sign of infection and the skin had already started growing back. "I'm going to leave the bandages off and let the wounds air out a bit but she'll be fine. She's already healing."

"Do either of you need anything?" Luka asked from the doorway. All three of them startled, they had been so intent on Faye that they had completely forgotten that she was there.

Shelley and Mikey looked at each other then back to Luka, "Nah we're good," Mikey said with a smile. He seemed to be closer to his usual goofy self but Luka noted that there was still a lingering trace of fear in his voice. She gave him a sympathetic look and silently slipped out as soon as they looked away.

"Well, how is she?" Leo asked.

All eyes were on her and she shifted uncomfortably underneath the attention, "Don says she's doing well and that it shouldn't be long now." The whole room breathed a sigh of relief and settled back in but this time it was much more relaxed. "Now, I'm going to make breakfast. She'll probably be hungry when she wakes up and I know you guys are always hungry." She announced as she gave Raph and Leo an amused grin.

"Do you want some help?" Raph asked suddenly.

The question caught Luka off guard, "I didn't know you could cook anything that wasn't frozen pizza but sure I wouldn't mind."

Leo and Amanda snuggled closer together on the couch and watched the two friends go into the kitchen, "Why was Luka so upset?" He finally got up the courage to ask her.

"Same reason you did. She feels responsible. Remember she's _our _leader so she feels like it's her job to take care of us, even though we're plenty old enough to take care of ourselves." Amanda explained, surprised that he hadn't figured it out already.

Before Leo could come up with a reply Don came bursting out of the lab, "Guys! She's awake!"

**Sorry the end is kind of crappy I really was sick of working on this chapter and just wanted to get it done. So Faye is awake. What will Mikey have to say to her? What will she have to say for herself? Find out (hopefully) soon!**


End file.
